Cindy Grisdela is a fiber artist who creates contemporary quilted wall hangings. An exhibit of her work is showing at the Great Falls library through June 30.
Cindy Grisdela, a contemporary art quilter, has an exhibit of her work at the Great Falls Library through June 30. The exhibit, titled "Improvisations in Color," showcases Grisdela’s use of vibrant color and bold graphic design to create unique textile art.
"I’m intrigued by color and texture," Grisdela says. "Creating art with fiber gives me an opportunity to design abstract compositions based on color and line, and then add dimension and texture with stitching lines to enhance the piece," she adds. Design inspiration comes from observation of her surroundings, Grisdela explains, anything from the pebbles on the path, to the currents in water, to the colors of a meadow. She combines the colors and textures she sees into contemporary designs that are each one-of-a-kind. All of the textural lines are added freehand with a sewing machine, driven entirely by hand without a computer or marking.
All 25 of the pieces in the exhibit are designed to hang on the wall. Some are mounted on stretcher bars and hang with wire like a painting, while others are prepared with a hanging sleeve on the back and a dowel that rests on nails in the wall.
Grisdela’s work is represented by Chasen Galleries in Richmond and can be found in a number of private collections all over the country. She is a Professional Artist member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and on the Board of Directors for Great Falls Studios in Great Falls. She was recently chosen to be one of about 300 artists exhibiting at the State Street Area Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Mich. July 18-21, 2012.
Grisdela has been a quilt artist for more than 25 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from William and Mary as well as an MBA from George Washington University. In 2006 she joined Great Falls Studios (www.greatfallsstudios.com), a group of about 100 artists who live or work in Great Falls, for the opportunity to interact with other artists. For more information on her work, visit her website and blog at www.cindygrisdela.com.
The Great Falls Library is located at 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA. Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 -9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.