Artist-in-Residence Susan Sorrell Shares Art Quilts, Vision

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Susan Sorrell in the Art Room with one of her pieces. The
embroidery and beadwork are so intricate, she says, "that it
took me 400 hours to complete." Photographs cannot do
justice to the amount of detail in her work.

Artist Susan Sorrell served as Upper School Artisit in Residence on Thursday, November 7. She exhibited several intricate fiber art creations incorporating painting, applique, embroidery and other arts; shared a slide collection of her work; and talked about the creative process. Sorrell also shared technique and provided inspiration to art students working on fiber pieces for their portfolios.

In the Upper School Art Gallery, Sorrell (right) stands by two
of her pieces. She is joined by Fine Arts Chair Susanne Abrams
and a student working on a fiber piece for her portfolio.

Often autobiographical in subject, Sorrell's art quilts have a strong painterly quality that allies them more closely with fabric collages than traditional quilts. Whimsy is a key element in her work, designed, she says, to amuse herself and her audience. "If I'm not interested in looking at them, who else would stop to look at my art work."

Coming to you soon on a billboard in Greenville: "City Jazz" 2002 was created for Fairway Advertising and the Metropolitan Arts Council.

Sorrell's pieces have been exhibited nationally and collected internationally. Her studio will be among those featured on the Metropolitan Arts Council Open Studios Tour on November 16 and 17. Her work is currently on exhibit at the Greenville County Museum and at The Beaded Frog on North Main Street in Greenville.

The CCES Fine Arts Guild supports the Artist-in-Residence Program, which annually brings artists, musicians, and performers to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools to enrich the arts curriculum.