ARTIST STATEMENT
In the 40 years that I have been making tatted lace, one of my favorite projects has been the development of a series of masks. Tatting is a perfect medium for mask-making. While the see-through quality of the lace can seem to reveal, it still maintains the anonymity required by the wearer. The challenge is to keep the lace intricate and creative in design while ensuring that it is functional enough to be worn.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
As a long-time graphic designer, I’ve always been interested in solving visual problems. When I discovered tatted lace over 40 years ago, I sat down with one shuttle and an instruction book and tried to figure out the process. By the time it made sense, I was hooked. I began by copying patterns out of books, most of them reproductions of publications from the ‘30s and ‘40s. I was intrigued by the complexity of the designs, and what made them work well. I soon started making modifications to those patterns and then progressed to developing my own. I have gone from making traditional flat lace pieces, including handkerchief edgings and wedding chains, to developing sculptural pieces such as masks, jewelry, calaveras and 3-dimensional Christmas ornaments.
Today, working out new designs is still the most exciting part of tatting for me. Even after I’ve worked out a pattern, I continue to find ways to make each piece in a series unique.
I graduated from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore, MD in 1970 with a BFA in Graphic Design. For most of my career, I worked in Chicago as a book designer and art director in the field of educational publishing. I am now retired. I was honored to serve for several years on the Board of Woman Made Gallery.
© Wilma Stevens