I am continually inspired by the plants in my garden and in-town prairie gardens that have become popular in my town, as well as the tall grass prairie across the Midwest. My color schemes are high and low contrast neutrals, black and white, and pastel pinks and blues. Bright reds and oranges sneaked their way in, too. These designs take the form of more realistic figures on a patchwork background -- and a detailed view of a small space.
I told some prairie stories by visualizing scientific data on the prairie -- including pollen data over 12,000 years taken from pollen cores extracted from ancient lakes to reconstruct earlier landscapes, and studies of root systems, and how fire helps restore the prairie. Other stories are inspired by my inner visions of past and future prairies. Past prairies include pioneer settlers of the 19th century. Future prairies may be changed as the climate changes and economic development continues. These quilts are more abstract in design. Move your cursor over an image to see a caption, or click on an image to see a slide show.