Deborah Payne – Textile Artist

"My work in textiles and paint is a play of colour, pattern, and texture. And play I do, drawing inspiration from nature, from traditional designs across cultures, and from the everyday objects of whimsy that surround me.

My love of paper and cloth comes naturally. Dad was a pressman at the Edmonton Journal, and paper -- especially endless rolls of newsprint -- was omnipresent in our lives. Mom, a Ukrainian farmer's daughter, sewed clothes, curtains, costumes, you name it, with fabrics that were rich, lush, sturdy, sensual, playful, patterned.

Papers and fabrics, textures and designs, colour and pattern: all have left an imprint on my work. I make cloth: woven or felted. I embellish cloth by stitching, crocheting, needlefelting, beading, etc. I paint: on paper and on eggs (Ukrainian pysanky). And sometimes I mix it all up, through paper weavings or collage.

Much of my work demands a slow and tactile process, allowing me to create art at a pace that invites contemplation and musing -- a magical meditation, really, as I am deeply moved by the sense of touch.

Two years of study at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, along with many workshops in many media, extensive travel, and long moments walking in nature have also greatly influenced my work.

I grew up in Edmonton, have lived in Quebec City, Barcelona, Montreal, Argentina, and now call Saint John NB my home."