Commissioned by the California Rice Commission, this collage depicts the flooded rice fields in the California-Delta area. This image was used as part of the Rice Commission’s branding program.

Have you ever been in an airplane and looked down and thought, “It looks like a quilt”? That was the start of this whole journey into fabric collage. The artist was always mesmerized by the views from the window seat. You see the bigger picture, the overall patterns, how things relate. At some point it hit her - she could make a quilt showing the view from an airplane….. and so the journey began.

Location - California Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters Part of an eight-piece series commissioned for Cal/EPA’s headquarters, each collage represents a geographic feature unique to California.  The collages are each on their own floor, arranged vertically by elevation - with Mt. Shasta on the top floor and Monterey Bay Canyon on the lowest floor.

This is one of four pieces created for “12 Voices”, an international juried show that opened at the Dennos Art Museum in Traverse City, Michigan in September of 2008. As the show’s curator put it, “The 12 Voices’ exhibition will give viewers a rare, in-depth look at twelve of the best fabric artists working today.” All four collages have been purchased by private individuals.

This was a private commission. Having previously lived in Sacramento, this family had recently moved to Southern California. They missed Sacramento and wanted artwork to remind them of their home. The Sacramento Delta and its surrounding farmlands are iconic of the region and is what you see as your plane flies into the state’s capital city. Ironically, shortly after the artwork was completed, the family moved back to Sacramento, and the artwork currently resides here in its home town.

MERLE AXELRAD

MERLE AXELRAD

PAINTING WITH FABRIC