The following article was written for the Alberta Craft Magazine. It seemed appropriate to share it here because I want to begin my year with inspiration as well as the intention to create beautiful work. Perhaps you will be inspired as well.

Nancy Crow. Nancy Crow. Elmhurst, IL: Breckling Press. 2006. 302 pages.

Nancy Crow has made more than 300 quilts during her career. She is an extraordinary artist whose medium is fabric. She is passionate about her work. Nancy is logical, determined, and brutally honest with herself and others. She is demanding of herself and her students. I have had the pleasure of taking a series of classes from Nancy at the Canadian Rockies Art Quilt Conference in Canmore. She, more than any other teacher, has encouraged me and motivated me to work with discipline and passion.

I looked forward to reading her book. It is a reflection of her work since she set aside templates and began to develop her improvisational style. As I began reading I could hear her voice in my head repeating what has become a mantra for me, “The more you work the more you learn.”

Nancy Crow describes the work of this renowned quilt artist from 1988 to 2005. It illustrates seven distinct series of work produced during that time. It also contains excerpts from a tape-recorded interview conducted by Jean Robertson for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

The essence of the book is the description of her evolving style. In 1988 she began her Color Block series and the first Double Mexican Wedding Ring quilt. Her goal at the time was to create work that was increasingly complex. By 1990 she felt despair at continuing to make quilts. From then until now we see the courage and dedication required in order to develop her extraordinary style.

Crow explains that the purpose of her quilts is to make something beautiful while expressing her deepest feelings and experiences. She is a student of her own artistic process. Her use of colour is masterful. Her understanding of proportion is eloquent. Her commitment to continuing to develop her work is clear.

The quality of the book reflects Crow’s exacting standards. The photos and their presentation, both formal and informal, are excellent. The text is illuminating. She shares her personal process, her struggles, perspectives and her creative process. She provides a glimpse into her life as an artist. She shows where she works and how that unique space was developed.

Nancy Crow is a valuable resource for artists working in any medium because it offers insights into Crow’s creative process and artistic motivations. It might be considered a coffee table book because of its rich illustrations, but it is much more. It documents the work of one of the world’s most influential contemporary artists. It is a beautiful book that merits careful study. It is an excellent investment for the art, for the inspiration and for the glimpse into the complex process of a master artist.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 7.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.