Lynette Williams
Michigan, USA
Detail-oriented, Inquisitive, Creative
Art: Realistic/Impressionistic
I am a fabric collage artist and interior design seamstress. The former gives me great pleasure, the later pays the bills. I make my home in beautiful western Michigan and am the mother of two grown daughters.
MEDIUM
My medium is fabric of all types from sheer fabric to upholstery weight. I look for unique patterns with variation in colors. I rarely if ever use a completely solid fabric because there is no depth to it.
| Clematis – Fabric Collage – Lynette Williams |
Technique and Process
Bits of fabric are fused, using fusible web, to a canvas panel to portray images. No ink or paint or any other medium is used. I work mostly from photos or drawings, but as I progress, the fabric often leads me in different directions than I intended.
THEMES
Main themes in my art so far have been nature and portraits, with some architectural. My desire is to explore more global/social themes in the future.
Why do you create art?
I do fabric collage because I am compelled to. When I complete a piece, I cannot wait to begin another. There is always another idea and I like to challenge myself to try different things whether in subject or method.
| Lilacs in Glass – Fabric Collage – Lynette Williams |
How often do you create art?
I have been producing, on average, one or two pieces per month.
Do you make money with your art?
I have had several commissions, but would not survive on that income. My job as an interior design seamstress also puts me in touch with potential art buyers in the form of designers and individual clients.
What are your favourite methods of promoting art online?
My website has garnered a lot of interest in my art. Also, my blog (Lynette Williams Blog) allows me to talk about my art, but also the work of other artists in all media, which I believe is an important component in the conversation.
INFLUENCES
I love art that is human and beautiful. Impressionistic art has always drawn me and one artist I particularly enjoy is Pierre-Auguste Renoir. His paintings are full of life and detail and bright aspect.
| Vensterbank – Collage with Fabric – Lynette Williams |
Will you recommend a contemporary artist and let us know a little about their art?
Laura Breitman is a fabric collage artist whose work I have admired for a while. I could put her in the category of an artist that has influenced my art as well. Her attention to detail is inspiring and her works verge on the photo-realistic.
Please tell us an memorable event in your life.
A close friend and I used to travel around the US quite a bit. One summer we decided to go out to Montana to work. She purchased a van from the power company and fitted it out with upholstered ( my contribution) bench seats and carpeting. Our romantic vision was to work as ranch hands for the summer and fill those spaces under the hinged bench seats with money! We ended up working for a small motel at the South East entrance of Yellowstone and coming home with .93 between the two of us, which we spent on ice cream in a town about 10 miles from home.
| Baby Girl – Fabric Collage – Lynette Williams |
What we lost in wealth, we gained in memories that I wouldn't trade for anything; making camp in the woods near the motel, storing our perishables in an ice cold stream, building a cooking stove from nearby rocks, sleeping one night in a friend's authentic tepee lit by moonlight on the back 40 of a real ranch. The kind of ranch at which we had hoped to work. I think I still have that Montana Employment Service card that says "ranch hand" on it.
Where do you see yourself as an artist in 10 years time?
In 10 years I see myself as a full-time artist producing pieces vastly better than I am producing now and exploring more varied themes.
Promotional Advice for Emerging Artists
Look for opportunities everywhere! Print business cards and don't pass up any opportunity to hand them out! People usually have some interest in art or they know someone who does. Have a website that you can direct interested persons to. I offer to do replicas of photos that are meaningful to people. It may not be your first choice for what you want to work on but it allows you to hone your skills and get your art on walls.
| Nick and Ava – Fabric Collage – Lynette Williams |
Lynette Williams Artist
Art Website: Lynette L Williams | Blog: Lynette Williams Blog
Your work is truly fine art - not the usual craft work seen in the media you use, Lynette. It is highly original and beautifully executed - I'd love to see it in real life. I wish you every success.
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