Written by: Joy Waggener,
Publicity Chair for 2009 Quilt Show
Velda Newman's website
Local resident Velda Newman’s reputation in the world of quilting is
as “large-scale” as her original quilt designs depicting beautiful
objects in the world around us. Her exquisitely crafted appliqué
versions of oversize flowers, fruit, fish, and shells have been
exhibited in many national and international quilt shows, winning
prestigious awards and ribbons. Velda’s work has been featured in
over 30 publications, including Quilter’s Newsletter and Threads
magazine. She lectures and teaches her techniques (bleaching,
painting, inking, etc) to eager students all over the world at
conferences and quilt guild meetings.
Hollyhocks
Click image to see larger version.
Velda grew up in Ventura County and started sewing at a young age,
taught both by her mother and in school. As an art major at Ventura
College, she honed her creative design skills and made paintings,
ceramics and jewelry. Marriage to husband Buddy and the arrival of
four children made for a busy life as wife and mother. The Newman
family moved to Nevada City in 1975 and all still live in the area,
along with spouses and Velda’s eleven grandchildren.
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Like most of us, Velda entered the quilt world as a traditional
quilter, making bed quilts for her daughters. Wanting to follow in
the footsteps of her quilting grandmother, she soon found that she
loved picking out fabric and making the appliqué blocks, but was
bored and frustrated when the time came to put them all together. It
was several years later before she was tempted back to quilting by a
1983 contest in Santa Rosa that allowed "non-traditional subjects and
methods". Thinking like a painter, Velda designed and appliquéd an
original folk-art farm scene called "Cows in the Meadow" and won a
special judge's award from Jean Ray Laury.
Encouraged by that success, Velda realized she could do whatever she
wanted, using textiles and thread the way other artists use paint and
brush. The "ah-ha" moment that has shaped her work ever since came
when she realized that "bigger is better" and began to design and
appliqué a larger-than-life-size study of beautiful "Iris" flowers.
The resulting quilt went on to win Best of Show and People's Choice
awards at Houston and a blue ribbon for appliqué at the AQS show in
Paducah.
Seashells
Click image to see larger version.
Having always been an avid gardener, Velda has continued over the
years to find inspiration in the vibrant colors and forms of flowers,
making oversize depictions of "Nasturtium", "Hydrangea", "Geranium",
"Sunflower State", "Hollyhocks" and "Foxglove". Other items in the
natural world that have drawn her attention include the fruits of
"California" and "Sunkissed", the "Wings" of butterflies, two studies
of "Baskets", several quilts featuring fish ("Catch of the Day",
"Bass: In Your Dreams!", "Oceans"), and fascinating "Seashells".
Many of these quilts are 10 to 15 feet wide and 5-6 feet deep, so
their visual impact is enormous.
A multitude of honors have come Velda's way over the years, including
"Hydrangea" being named one of the "100 Best Quilts of the 20th
Century" and her inclusion in the Tokyo Invitational exhibit of "30
Distinguished Quilt Artists of the World" in 2003. Her work has
appeared in many national and international shows, publications and
books, including "MASTERS: Art Quilts", published in 2008. Two books
focus exclusively on her work: "VELDA NEWMAN: A Painter's Approach to
Quilt Design" with Christine Barnes, published by Fiber Studio Press
in 1996 and "A Workshop with Velda Newman", released in 2002 from C &
T Publishing.
Pine Tree Quilt Guild is proud to honor Velda for putting Nevada
City, California "on the map" for quilters around the world and we
definitely designate her one of the "Celebrity Quilters of Nevada
County".
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