Kristin Shields is an artist living in Central Oregon, USA. Kristin’s work ranges from modern, art and folk art quilts to sketching, painting and other media. She is influenced by animals, the environment, books, modern design, traditional quilts, and folk art. When not working in her home studio, she may be found exploring with a camera and a sketchbook in hand. She is an animal lover who has a special fascination with birds. This may have inspired her background in the sciences, where she has a Masters in Avian Sciences. Kristin’s quilts have hung in numerous shows, including the Pacific International Quilt Festival; QuiltFest Oasis; International Quilt Festival Houston; AQS Paducah, Chattanooga, Grand Rapids, and Syracuse; QuiltCon 2015-2018; Northwest Quilt Expo; and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show where she was the featured quilter in 2013. Among the many ribbons her quilts have received, she received 1st Place, First Entry in to Paducah, 2016; 1st Place, Small Quilts, QuiltCon 2016 and Judge’s Choice, QuiltCon 2017. In addition, Kristin’s quilts have been published in books and magazines including Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century (book and touring exhibit); Free Range Triangle Quilts by Gwen Marston and Cathy Jones; Minimal Quiltmaking by Gwen Marston; Modern Patchwork Magazine; Simply Moderne Magazine and QuiltCon Magazine. Kristin lives with her husband and son in Central Oregon. Welcome, Kristin!
Kristin: My aesthetic would probably be described as eclectic. I learned to quilt traditionally 27 years ago. My first quilt was a traditional sampler, completely hand cut and hand sewn. After working from patterns for about 10 years, I discovered the work of Gwen Marston and my style completely changed. Ryan’s Quilt was my first big liberated quilt. The liberated letters were inspired by Tonya Ricucci’s book, Word Play Quilts. When I learned more about the Modern Quilt Guild, I started working with limited color palettes and solid fabrics. About 5 years ago, someone suggested I look into the Studio Art Quilt Associates. If you were to take a peek in my quilt storage, you’d see whimsical, colorful, folk art and liberated quilts interspersed with modern designs and art quilts. I prefer small wall quilts because I can seize an idea and run with it, but still be done relatively quickly and then pursue another idea.
Thank you, Kristin! Your work is so well-rounded and inspiring!! For more about Kristin, visit her website, or connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumbler and Flickr. In addition, to learn about upcoming events, new art for sale, and to receive exclusive shop coupons, you can subscribe to Kristin’s mailing list here. Would you like to be featured in The Creativity Project? Reach out! I’d love to hear from you! Contact me. Want to participate, but not necessarily be featured? You can do that! Click here to take the survey! The Creativity Project can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or Bloglovin’. Or check back here every Friday of 2018!
How would you describe your quilting style/aesthetic?
Kristin: My aesthetic would probably be described as eclectic. I learned to quilt traditionally 27 years ago. My first quilt was a traditional sampler, completely hand cut and hand sewn. After working from patterns for about 10 years, I discovered the work of Gwen Marston and my style completely changed. Ryan’s Quilt was my first big liberated quilt. The liberated letters were inspired by Tonya Ricucci’s book, Word Play Quilts. When I learned more about the Modern Quilt Guild, I started working with limited color palettes and solid fabrics. About 5 years ago, someone suggested I look into the Studio Art Quilt Associates. If you were to take a peek in my quilt storage, you’d see whimsical, colorful, folk art and liberated quilts interspersed with modern designs and art quilts. I prefer small wall quilts because I can seize an idea and run with it, but still be done relatively quickly and then pursue another idea.
Ryan’s Quilt. Kristin was the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show “Featured Quilter” of 2013. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
How would you describe the creative environment in your home as a child?
Kristin: I grew up in a rather creative home. My mom was always making things and trying new crafts. She sewed, knitted, crocheted and did other needlework including needlepoint, crewel, cross stitch and tatting. She didn’t make quilts though. When I was in middle school she went back to work as a craft teacher at LeeWards (a precursor to Michael’s). She’d constantly bring home supplies and we’d all learn a new craft- from painting and bead work to batiking and macramé. My dad was also creative in his own way. He was a physicist, but in his free time, he liked to do woodworking and other useful pursuits in his workshop. I have two siblings and all three of us ended up working at LeeWards at some point in high school or college, so it sort of became the family business.What artists and makers do you most admire or have an influence on your work?
Kristin: Gwen Marston is by far my biggest influence. I was utterly fascinated with her first Liberated Quiltmaking book and read it over and over. I was incredibly fortunate to move to Central Oregon 14 years ago. The Stitchin’ Post in Sisters has been an amazing resource for national teachers, so I got to meet and become friends with Gwen over the years that I took various workshops from her. Jean Wells, the owner of the Stitchin’ Post, has also been influential. Her first Intuitive Quilting class refined many of the principles I learned from Gwen. I have taken several workshops with Rosalie Dace, also due to the Stitchin’ Post. Rosalie really makes her students think. Her classes are rigorous and well worth the time. I have also been fortunate to take classes with Tonye Belinda Phillips, Sue Spargo, and Janet Bolton who honed my love of folk art and applique. We have also been lucky to have the Gee’s Bend Quilters visit Sisters for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and I’ve taken a couple of classes with them. In the modern quilt realm I have too many favorites to mention them all, but Chawne Kimber, Hillary Goodwin, Melissa Averinos, and Heidi Parkes are stand outs.Rhythm of the Rails. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
Do you consider yourself a “quilter”, an artist, or some combination of both?
Kristin: I called myself a quilter at first, but a number of years ago I hesitantly started to call myself an artist. I spent quite a lot of time thinking I was a bit of a fraud though. Fast forward to now and I feel comfortable calling myself an artist. I love to work in so many different media that it just makes sense to not constrict myself. I also stitch, paint, sketch, knit and weave on a regular basis.Love in the Digital Age (Detail). Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
How would you define “making with intention”?
Kristin: I think it would be impossible to make anything without intention. Even if I grab a pencil and paper and doodle on it, my intention is to doodle. All of my work is done with some sort of intention. Sometimes that involves drawing out my design beforehand (although that is really only a rough guide- not a pattern). Sometimes my intention is to sit at the sewing machine and just sew together bits of fabric from the scrap bin. That’s actually my favorite way to make an improv quilt. I love work that comes together without a lot of fuss and with lots of surprises. Many times my work is intended to fulfill a quilt challenge or theme and I spend a lot of time contemplating and doing research before I start the work.Wild Abandon (Detail). Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
Do you think that having a craft makes us more compassionate? If so, then how?
Kristin: I am not so sure that the two are linked. I can imagine having one without the other. However, I do know that many creatives give their time and talent to make the world a better place. It seems that these activities are often not well compensated (or at all) and yet we still do them with love and compassion.Only One Earth (process shot). Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
How does creating feed your soul/spiritual purpose?
Kristin: The act of creating something completely new in the world is just very exciting and creates wellbeing. The physical act of working with my hands is what really feeds my soul. Sometimes when working at my sewing machine, it’s all so fast that I don’t get that feeling. It just feels like I need to get something done- it’s all about the product. When I’m hand stitching, painting, weaving and so on I get lost in the work, lose track of time, and forget about the world. When I come out of such a state I feel like I have fed my soul and filled my creative cup. In those instances, it’s all about the process.The Spectrum of the Ordinary. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
Are there any rituals that you perform to prepare/ground yourself in your work?
Kristin: No, I’m not really into that sort of thing. I just need the physical space to get to work, which sometimes means I need to clean up first.For the Watchers and the Dreamers. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
What is the support system you have in place for creating your work?
Kristin: I have great support from my family to have time to do the work. My children are grown so it’s easier, but my intellectually disabled son still lives with us and needs our support, so I am juggling my creative time with all the normal everyday tasks, as well as that. I have had a dedicated studio in my home for the past 7 years and that is really important for me. My family is also very supportive when it comes to sharing and to appreciating my work. My sister is a full time glass artist and my brother is a writer in his spare time, so we all support each other. I am so fortunate to live in Central Oregon where we have an amazing quilting community. Every town has a quilt shop (or two or three). Every town has a quilt guild and there are guilds for traditional, art and modern quilters. I belong to more guilds than I can manage. I also have a small group, The Undercover Quilters, which is the most important quilt group in my life. We started 9 years ago and are a quilting book club. We read a book every month, just like any book club, and then we choose one book a year for us to each make a quilt for. This year it’s Martin Marten by Brian Doyle. I love books and quilts, so it’s perfect for that reason, but the camaraderie and support from this group is what makes it really amazing. Not only do we share great food and wine every month, but we share our quilts and ideas and give support to each other for all things in life.How do you deal with comparison to / envy of others? Can you describe a time when you used comparison/envy/admiration to push yourself in your own work and self-discovery?
Kristin: This can be a real problem in this day and age if you are on the internet at all. I often just have to step away from it and remind myself to do my own thing. I think to be true to yourself and to your work, you really have to shut out all the other input at times. Having said all that, this year I am trying some face quilts inspired by several friends in my Undercover Quilters group. For a long time I thought that just wasn’t my thing, but this year I really wanted to put a person in my quilt, so I got Melissa Averinos’ book, Making Faces in Fabric, and set myself a challenge to learn how it’s done. After several small samples, I am now working on the larger piece which you can see in my profile photo.Kristin in her studio with some of the faces quilts she’s made based on Melissa Averinos’ book. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
What was the most challenging thing you ever made?
Kristin: Last year, I made several quilted responses to the political climate we are now in. The 2016 election was devastating and I spent the following winter creating several art quilts expressing my fear, anger and frustration. They are all hand stitched and full of words that just poured out of me. It was challenging to work on pieces that express frustration at their very core, but I’m glad I did them.Waiting for Sanity. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
What does it mean to you to work in a traditionally domestic medium that historically has been regarded as predominately female (aka “women’s work”)?
Kristin: I love that I can carry on these traditions and inspire the next generations. I am also happy to see more men joining the quilting crowd. Fiber art in general is slower than many other art forms, and is often used to make functional designs. As this medium is used more and more in the context of visual art, to be placed on a wall and to be appreciated for its inherent value, I hope it gains more acceptance and appreciation by the art world in general. That said, making a soft, cuddly, functional quilt is the ultimate act of love and I’m glad the making of such quilts is open to all.Modern Improv Sampler. Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
How do you see your current work in the context of quilting history?
Kristin: Well, I haven’t really thought about it that way before. I just hope to inspire others to try things, to see for themselves that they really can play with fabric and fulfill their creative potential.Roundabout Bend (Detail). Image courtesy of Kristin Shields.
Thank you, Kristin! Your work is so well-rounded and inspiring!! For more about Kristin, visit her website, or connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumbler and Flickr. In addition, to learn about upcoming events, new art for sale, and to receive exclusive shop coupons, you can subscribe to Kristin’s mailing list here. Would you like to be featured in The Creativity Project? Reach out! I’d love to hear from you! Contact me. Want to participate, but not necessarily be featured? You can do that! Click here to take the survey! The Creativity Project can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or Bloglovin’. Or check back here every Friday of 2018!
Another great interview! Kristin is new to me so I appreciated meeting her via this series. Kristen – your quilts are gorgeous!! I have always wanted to go to Sister’s which is completely possible as I live not too far away in Northern CA. Maybe someday! I really like your Wild Abandon quilt – so cool!!
Sisters would be a dream for me too Bernie – so glad you’re enjoying the series.