"Beach Umbrellas" by Ann Baldwin May, Fiber Art Quilt

37 X 37 Original Artwork 2016   The abstract pieced art quilts of Ann Baldwin May are all about color, texture and movement. Motivation begins with color and texture. Inspiration comes from seeing how the fabrics play with one another. Her materials are redirected from the San Francisco Design Center away from the landfill. She creates texture by couching (zigzagging) decorative threads and cutting them up to use as fabric. The addition of tucks also adds texture and creates movement. Her favorite techniques to create movement include curved line piecing and scribble quilting. The quilting threads create another level of movement on the surface. A person recently commented on one of her pieces saying, “It dances.” Just the mark she had been aiming for. Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She received her education from University of California, Irvine (History, BA Elementary Teaching Credential, Masters in Teaching Spanish) Her first quilting class was in 1975. She retired in 2012 after working 30 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher. After making over 300 bed quilts, she turned her attention to art quilts. Ann is passionate about using repurposed materials often from the San Francisco Design Center. She has won several awards for her work. Two pieces were recently purchased by Kaiser Permanente for their Scotts Valley, CA facility. Her work has been juried into shows all over the country including San Francisco and Chicago. She participates in the juried Santa Cruz county open Studios Art Tour. She is married and has two daughter.