Artist Statement

My work represents my reactions with the natural environment and personal experiences. My most recent work is a visual statement about tough themes such as cancer, suicide, Covid and personal loss. I take these emotional themes and turn them into something aesthetically pleasing, making something good out of the bad. I found this to be a good challenge, using the wonderful flower and leaf stamps, and other “pretty” shapes that I have, to represent something emotionally difficult, the opposite of pretty!. This was very cathartic for me during the last few years! I also enjoy using shapes and colors that I glean from my constant contact with nature, in my gardens, traveling and walking in the woods. I am most inspired and find joy in the color, pattern and balance that I experience.

I create on fabrics that I hand dye, with detailed and layered printmaking. My palette is bold, bright colors and I print with my interpretive, simplified shapes. I add in further detail and texture by hand quilting each piece. I enjoy the tactile experience with each piece during the quilting, and often use printed hands in my imagery.

Some work will start as sketches of ideas or places, but most just build up from ideas in my head. I will then collect together the stamps that will best represent my idea, and colors of fabric that will work for the theme. Then, quite often, I will find I need some new stamps, which requires a sketch to be transferred onto the rubber block, then carved. I will print a variety of cloth pieces that will then be arranged into a pleasing composition. Cloth pieces are sewn together on the machine, layered with batting and a backing cloth, and then the quilting begins!

Biography:

Robin Cornwell is a fabric artist and retired art teacher. She received her BA in Education, with a concentration in Printmaking from Plymouth State University, and taught middle school art for 38 years in New Hampshire. Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues in NH, and she has been a presenter at many workshops for educators over the years. She currently lives in Wolfeboro, NH with her beloved German Shepherd, Maizie.

Ms Cornwell has been working with the combination of printmaking and fabric for over 30 years. Her work is constructed from very colorful, hand dyed cotton fabrics embellished with block print and screen print techniques. Leaves from local trees and from her gardens are also used to directly print on her fabrics. Currently she is focusing on Art Quilts inspired by the natural environment that is part of her daily walks in the woods and her gardens.