Mary Jo Stipe

Bio
After a successful career as a design writer and editor, Mary Jo Stipe returned to her first love — making art. Following a workshop with Kerr Grabowski in 2008, she put aside canvas and paint in favor of silk and fiber-reactive dye. In 2013, she completed the Art Cloth Mastery Program, a 2-1/2 year study of textile-related techniques and surface design with Jane Dunnewold in San Antonio, Texas. Stipe is a member of the Surface Design Association, Studio Art Quilt Associates and the Art League of Long Island.

Artist Statement

Inspiration for art can come from anywhere: a dream, a poem, a random conversation overheard on a train. For me, the seed of an idea typically takes root in my own backyard, amid the trees and leaves I see when I step outside my door. Although I enjoy exploring a variety of subject matter, from the human figure to everyday household objects, I always return to plants, trees and leaves. I feel a kinship with Ralph Waldo Emerson who once wrote: “The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.” Through my artwork, I hope to share a frisson of that wonder with others.

Winter Blues   28 X 45 inches   NFS
Silk broadcloth, fiber-reactive dye, textile paint, silver leaf.

Three Leaves  12 X 36   NFS
Paper lamination on polyester organza, textile paint.

Feather Leaves    22 X 24    NFS
Monoprint on silk broadcloth, fiber-reactive dye.