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My work is inspired mostly by my travels in the United States and abroad. Colors and textures in nature, mosaics in Spain, and architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, create seeds of ideas. A whole new world of inspiration opened up for me under water with my emergence into scuba diving. With a digital camera, I shoot close ups of color saturated sea life, capturing the repetitive patterns of coral, sponges, and other sea creatures.

Color is my passion. Using low water immersion techniques, I dye cotton fabrics, mixing hundreds of hues from red, yellow, and blue MX dyes. There are always new combinations and shades to explore! Sometimes I create a color inspired by an exotic coral I have seen, other times the shades I dye become the inspiration for a piece.

Drafting each geometric design in my mind, I rework color and balance until I see it completely, then cut and sew thousands of pieces to create the image. With the free form designs, I spend hours drawing the image in pencil, then make a copy, cut it up and use it for pattern pieces when I sew. I piece and applique by machine. No adhesives are used and I leave no raw edges. Framing is conservation and museum quality. Conservation glass offers 97% UV protection. Larger work has museum glass, which has UV protection, plus is AR-Reflection Free.

http://www.sandigarris.com