Ren Riley "A Maker and Collector"

Gallery Hours T, W, and Th 12:30 – 3:30.
Call for more information 707-468-3207 or email gallery@mendocino.edu

“For over thirty five years I restored antique quilts among other fiber arts. During this time I was assembling my own collection of textiles. For years I was constantly on the road doing shows and in search of great textiles. I was able to assemble a vast collection of vintage fabrics. From this collection, I drew fragments to create my own versions of quilt like assemblages ( I only say “quilt like” because of the construction techniques that were used; meaning there is a assembled front, a center and a back that are sewn together to create one unified piece). I personally see the constructs as small paintings using fabric as a medium. I like to work with the vintage fabrics as though it was a painting and let it build as I go. I do have some idea when I’m beginning a piece and at times I draw out exactly what I’m after but they start to build as I work and sometimes surprise me in the end. Some lead me in certain directions until I’m ready to move on and others I continue to expound on.”
– Ren Riley