Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melinda Lowy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Melinda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
My most meaningful project is my current series using bird feathers I’ve found. For the past several years, the sudden appearance of a bird feather unexpectedly in my path has been a sign of hope and good fortune in my life during times of hardship. Whether it’s medical issues pertaining to the health of myself, spouse, parents, friends or pets, or decisions that need to be made, the appearance of a pristine feather bodes well for the outcome. As a metaphor for different life experiences occurring when the feathers appear, I utilize different fiber contents, textures, and patterns for the background and different methods for duplicating the feathers. My art explores how these feathers can symbolize a message of hope, so relevant in these current times.
Melinda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have loved working with fabric from a young age, both sewing and handwork of any kind. I began exploring quilting in 1975 while still an undergraduate. I continued to quilt and do other handwork throughout graduate school and during my career. I was introduced to art quilts in 2000 and until retirement, most of my free time was spent creating my fiber art. Since retiring in 2016, I have been able to focus even more on my art. In 2023, I took the additional step of obtaining a studio outside the home where I could interact with other artists, both fiber and non-fiber. Those interactions have helped my art reach a new level. The relationships I’ve developed through the studio have led to the development of possible shows together based on common subjects in our work.
My love for fabrics has led me to utilize a wide variety of commercial fabrics in my work, including silk, velvet, polyester, cotton, upholstery fabrics, leather, and anything else that I think helps express my vision. In addition, I use both acrylics and thickened dyes in my art, allowing me to create my own fabric when needed. I include other surface design techniques when needed, including stamping, beading, and embroidery. I create both two- and three-dimensional art.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing my vision come to life and then having people see the message I was trying to convey. It doesn’t happen every time and it’s alright when people take something else away from viewing my work. However, when they see and understand, that’s a definite thrill knowing that I’ve been able to create a definite statement in my art.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was to give up my perfectionist tendencies. When creating my art, I found that the desire to make every piece perfect led to overworking and very unsuccessful work. When I learned to work more in an intuitive fashion and listen to my “gut”, I found my work was much more successful. Sometimes the mistakes I made even led to a better piece because I was challenged to deal with them. For me, it’s an ongoing process to remind myself to let go and allow the piece to tell me what it wants me to do next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melindalowy.com
- Instagram: @melindalowy
- Facebook: melindalowy
- Linkedin: /melindalowy
Image Credits
Mark Gulezian, Pete Duvall