Elizabeth Iola Sylvan
Biology
Lost Moon #4: Remembering Winter
26” x 44”
Fiber: Raw edge applique, layered and quilted.
Elizabeth Sylvan is an Administrative Assistant in Smith’s Clark Science Center. She has been an avid quilter and fiber artist for over twenty years. When she’s not up at 5 am to play with fabric, she can often be found hiking, birding, taking photos, or checking out the local art scene. She has also dabbled in drawing, painting, weaving, paper collage, and stained glass.
Elizabeth discovered her passion for fiber arts while working at Ben Franklin’s craft store where she had to learn to cut fabric for their sewing corner. The botanical-themed prints drew her in, she made a couple of traditional lap quilts, and after that, she was addicted!
Elizabeth works with traditional fibers – layers of cotton assembled like a collage and quilted, often with touches of silk, lace, yarn, velvet, but also likes to experiment. She has been known to incorporate found and recycled items, such as bits of clothing, hardware, dryer sheets, and foil, into many of her pieces. Sometimes she over-dyes her own fabric or draws on top to adjust the color or value. For Elizabeth, fiber art is the perfect way to play with design, color, and texture in a controlled way. She has the freedom to explore endlessly while still having the structure of working with specific quilting tools and techniques.
Elizabeth’s small wall-hangings are inspired by the wild places she’s explored with her family. They recall universal images and symbols of the wilderness, birds, trees, seasons, and water, mixed with a touch of the whimsical. Through her art, she tries to capture that moment of solitude when the viewer feels connected to the natural world–the places she feels most centered and at home. Quilting and creating fiber arts is meditative for Elizabeth. It provides an outlet for her creative energy and encourages her to look closely at the world around us.
In addition to working on her own pieces, Elizabeth teaches quilting classes and shows/sells her work, providing a little extra income. During the quarantine, she is spending her spare time birding, quilting, gardening, watching science fiction series, and teaching her teenager to juggle.
Lost Moon #4: Remembering Winter is a synthesis of two of her series on seasons. It is intended to delight the eye and quiet the mind while exploring mood, color and natural themes. It is an attempt to capture that moment of solitude when the viewer feels connected to the natural world. The moon is lying at the base of the tree. Look closely, you can see the round hole it has left in the sky, framed by branches.
