We recently connected with Judy Stippich and have shared our conversation below.

Judy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Way back to the beginning…. My mother was a brilliant seamstress so as a child I grew up around fabric. All my life through high school I chose my own fabrics for the clothes my mom would make. No store bought clothes. My mother also kept her children busy with crafts. I always loved the creative process. Mom also insisted that all four of her children got a chance to get a college education. I was under the impression one could not make a living in art so I chose another field: speech-language pathology in the schools. I did enjoy that for a long time but eventually that pull to creating got me. I still wonder what would have become of me if I had pursued art as a career back then. And yet I am grateful for my life as each decision does add up to my life today in which I am free to create and draw upon my life experiences til now. Truly I would not have my husband and kids if I had chosen differently. Yet… now as I try to get my name out there in art I get to figure it all out at 64. I love and hate technology at the same time but we are heavily dependent on it. Actually I do not know if collage quilting was even done back then. Who knows what journey I would have had to get here now?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always been described as a creative person. Like I said in my last statement, I grew up around fabric and crafts always enjoying the creative process. However, when the Covid lockdown began and I was in desperate need of expressing my creativity and having time to process not just the lockdown but how we will be taking care of my elderly parents who could no longer take care of themselves. When I found Emily Taylor’s collage quilting process online, taking in as much as I could with webinars and such, collage quilting became therapeutic for me. I decided that my mom would love a Blessed Virgin Mary to watch after her. I made her an Our Lady of Lourdes. As I dove into collage quilting I discovered I could create a collage quilt from just about any subject, from animals like pets and underwater creatures to flowers to landscapes of our favorite vacation spots to wedding bouquets, Christmas quilts and more. Anything was possible. When I began collage quilting and gifting them people started to take notice. They began to request wedding bouquets and pet portraits. I was told by many I had a gift and I believe gifts should be shared so I began to create my collage quilting business. Currently the most popular are the pet portraits. It is so exciting to see the pets (I call them by name) come alive before me. I involve the clients in the process with a review after the collaging step and help in selecting a background fabric for each pet. Clients have commented to me they love the process. I request a photo of the recipient/s receiving the gift as I get great joy in seeing their faces. My art quilts are a realistic representation with a touch of whimsy. They are typically bright and cheerful. People comment that they can feel the love that went into the art.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I am still unlearning- my mom, being a seamstress who took in work from her community and beyond- would not charge people what her expertise and work was worth. I would hear her say when they left that she felt she should have charged more. When I go to our nearby cultural center that features and sells local artists’ work I ask about pricing my work. I always get “ well, that’s a great question. What do you think?” And yet I did sign up for coaching from Miriam Schulmann, Art Preneur. She gave me a way to measure to determine the value and also encouraged me to sell my art for over twice what I was and to find my following. I am working on my mindset around this.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art isn’t just about what you see in front of you. I have heard that art bypasses the mind and goes right to the heart. That said, lots of heart usually goes into art. Heart expresses not just the feeling of the moment but also the whole soul of the artist and the history of the emotion. Artists are usually people who feel deeply…. Neurospicy!
So as the public views the art in front of them please know the heart. Get to know about the artist too.
And artists. continue to love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://judystippichart.com. (Under construction)
• Instagram: JudyGeiserStippich
• Facebook: Judy Geiser Stippich
• Other: https://lbri.com/judystip