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Painting With Fabric

Sacramento artist Merle Axelrad explores the limits of textile art with her landscapes of the California coast and central valley as well as her nature studies of streams, mountains, and trees.

Merle Working

Using fabric as her brushstrokes, she creates images bordering on photorealism. Her "paint" is unique in that it might be plaid, sheer, or even heavily textured.

Mount Everest With Pins Up Close

Merle carefully arranges thousands of fabric fragments, layering them over one another, pinning them, and finally sewing them together.

Mount Everest With Pins Under Sewing Machine