Andrea Finch
Quercus Falling Leaves VII, 2022
Recycled upholstery fabric samples, cotton and polyester thread, aluminum wire, glass beads 60”h x 36”w x 22”d
Reusing textiles discarded by designers and decorators, I create with small bits of ephemeral fabrics from sample books. Once used, I cannot replace them. Textile production is a resource-intensive industry: the more kept out of the landfills the more at peace I feel with my chosen medium. I create my art to show aspects of the natural world with an emphasis on native plants like oaks that provide havens and subsistence for our native fauna
Andrea Finch
Womb of the Nation, 2021
Cotton textile & thread 24" wide x 18" long
Tears in the fabric, tears on the fabric, frayed edges, on the fringe. As I studied maps and started drawing the design for a work about the Washington D.C. area, I realized the one constant was the waterways. Waterways took on the female form. Washington was designed to be the foundation for the Nation for all, but men have used it to benefit those who already have the power. The convergence of the Potomac & Anacostia Rivers drains away life in self-interest. Can the waters wash away the hate & greed and give life to a country where all are given a chance to live?
Andrea Finch
Echinacea purpurea VII: Pixie Meadowbrite, 2022
Quilted Textiles 7 ½” high x 24”wide
My garden is my inspiration for my creations. While musing on the next piece to make in 2021 the mass of Echinacea/Coneflowers caught my eye. So many colors and textures flowing through my flower bed and a funky spiky seed head which feeds the Finches in the fall & winter. Method: Hand cut, machine quilted, raw edge machine applique, hand constructed Materials: Cotton, aluminum wire, polyester stuffing
Andrea Finch
Echinacea purpurea VI: Kismet Yellow, 2022
Quilted Textiles 10” high x 25” wide x 25" wide
Andrea Finch
Magnolia Grandiflora VIII: Fitzgerald the seed, 2021
Recycled designer samples, cotton & polyester textiles, aluminum wire, polyester stuffing, cotton batting, polyester & cotton thread 12" x 12" wide x 9" high
My work now has escaped the boundaries of flat surface art to become sculptures that taunt the viewer to reach out and touch. After the Magnolia Grandiflora's beautiful white flower fades & the seed pods lose their fuzzy exterior they drop to the ground becoming hard & unforgiving when stepped on. This prehistoric vessel has inspired me to bring it to life in a soft medium. Created for No Boundaries 2021 at the Virginia Quilt Museum
Andrea Finch
Magnolia Grandiflora V: Fitzgerald the Seed, 2019
Quilted Textiles 24" high x 42" wide x 42" wide
Fourth in my Magnolia Grandiflora series I delve further into my fascination with this prehistoric tree. Reducing the quilts to a more abstract form as I find the essence of the curled carpels, smooth tepals and hard, sharp seed pods as they are now escaping the bounds of the surface.
Andrea Finch
Magnolia Grandiflora VI: Zelda the Flower, 2019
Cotton & polyester textiles, aluminum wire, polyester stuffing, cotton batting, polyester & cotton thread 18” high x 36” wide
My quilts have become more three-dimensional over time. With this piece, I embraced the sculptural form wholeheartedly. Magnolia Grandiflora's flower is white but the bees see it in purples and blues. It was a joy to diverge and allow my love of color to flow into a virginal white flower. Art of the State Pennsylvania 2021.
Andrea Finch
Oak Leaves III Bur Oak in green, 2019
Quilted Textiles 16”wide x 40”high x7”deep
The leaf series evolved from my general interest in trees and my new intense interest in oaks. My parents were moving out of the home I grew up in, which is surrounded by large oak trees; Swamp Chestnut, Red, White & Pin Oaks. As a collector of all types of fabric, decorators and furniture stores supply me with a wide assortment of fabric. Using 'recycled' fabrics that would have ended up in the trash and the restrictions of a small piece of fabric that I cannot replace makes the work more exciting to me. Wanting to add movement to my quilts I began to study falling leaves which continues to intrigue me. This is the third in the series, the negative space has become more important as the series progresses. I want to educate people about all the wonderful reasons to grow oaks; long lived, food for animals, shade, and all the interesting leaf shapes.
Andrea Finch
Quercus Falling Leaves II: White Oak Leaves in Red, 2019
Quilted Textiles 16”wide x 40”high x6”deep
Earth Matters - 2021 Juried Surface Design Association Member Exhibition Watermark Art Center Bemidji, Minnesota. The leaf series evolved from my interest in oak trees as my parents moved out of the home I grew up in, which is surrounded by large oak trees. As a collector of all types of fabric, I use recycled fabric samples. Fabric that I cannot replace makes the work more exciting to me. Wanting to add movement to my quilts I began to study falling leaves which continues to intrigue me. I want to educate people about all the wonderful reasons to grow oaks; long lived, food for animals, shade, and all the interesting shapes of the leaves.
Andrea Finch
Magnolia Grandiflora IX: Zelda unleashed, 2021
Quilted Textiles 30" wide x 40" high
The ninth in the series I continue to devolve the structure of the magnolia. Zelda Unleashed was created with the leftovers from other work. The elements that didn't fit the previous more controled works.
