Featured Artist Profile: Ruth Powers

Today I'm thrilled to introduce Ruth Powers.  She is a long time professional artist, teacher, and lecturer and her award-winning pieced quilts are just gorgeous.  I encourage you to visit her website to see more of her art.  www.ruthpowersartquilts.com.

1. Who are you and where do you live?

My name is Ruth Powers and I live in rural Kansas, south of Topeka with my husband and two dogs.

2. Tell us a little bit about your artistic journey and how you got started?

I have always been artistic but didn’t start quilting until 1989, when I wanted to make a wall hanging for my home.  I did not expect to enjoy it so was very surprised to discover that the whole process was totally satisfying and I was hooked! When I first started, the work was more traditional, but still artsy, That very first wall hanging was a combination of traditional blocks and a pieced scene similar to what I do now, only less intricate.  In 1994 I started my own pattern company, INNOVATIONS, which now has 57 patterns ranging from traditional to picture piecing, wall hangings to bed size.

First Quilt, 1989, Ruth Powers

3. How do you describe your work?

Mostly what I am doing now is machine pieced pictorial work made from commercially printed and hand dyed fabrics.  They are very heavily free motion machine quilted on my Bernina. 

4. Do you have any favorite techniques or approaches?

My current love is Picture Piecing. I work from my own drawings or from photographs or a combination of the two.  These are broken down into sewable sections,  enlarged and transferred to freezer paper which becomes my pattern for the sewing. The seams can be either straight or curved.

Eagles Soar, 2013, Ruth Powers

5. What do you want to communicate with your work?

My love of nature and color.

6. What methods, or lifestyle tips, or time management tips do you find helpful to producing work?

As a professional, this work is my priority, my job. So most days are dedicated to some aspect of  it. Not just sewing and designing, but shipping, computer work, entering and keeping track of shows and exhibits,  teaching and lecturing and running my pattern company. 

7. What kind of studio/workspace do you have and what features of your surroundings are most helpful for your productivity/work?

I have a wonderful, large studio that was built as an addition to our home specifically to house the business and the sewing space.  There is plenty of room for storage of all kinds, office space, my quilting/art library, TV, seating area,  and of course the expected sewing area with everything I need, including an 8x8’ design wall. With windows looking out over the water garden and bird feeders, it is my perfect work space.

Ruth Powers, Studio

8. Which artists, other individuals or subjects currently inspire you?

I enjoy the work of Ruth McDowell whose things are similar but quite different from my own, but for inspiration, I usually go to nature. 

Many thanks to Ruth for sharing her work with us in this space!