Cathy Kelly
Biography
Catherine Kelly is a fiber artist living in Tijeras, NM (the East Mountains outside of Albuquerque). Catherine’s first medium is traditional hand-hooked rugs executed in a contemporary style. ‘If it can be stripped, it can be hooked.”
Catherine has been “making” for as long as she can remember. Her first influence was with a Nonna who tackled every kind of fiber and she watched, learned and absorbed from those early days. She and her siblings spent many hours with paper, scissors, crayons—you name it. High school summers were spent as a volunteer teaching assistant in arts classes for the Richmond, CA public schools’ summer programs. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1976 (painting and lithography), she spent several years teaching secondary art, yearbook and other classes at Presentation High School in Berkeley, CA. Middle years were spent in item processing, information systems and independent community banking.
Catherine and her husband moved to New Mexico in 2004 where she found a new home on the ABQ Fiber Arts Council and the Friends of Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological site. Catherine’s primary art is contemporary rug hooking, both teaching and making, as well as specialty dyeing of wool fabrics for sale and student use and purchase. She is a member of the NM Mixed Media Guild and also quilts, sews and knits. It is fair to say that she will put just about anything into an art piece and loves to play with layers and juxtaposition of color, thought and impression. Over the last few years, Catherine found paper again and has taken to “making” that includes junk journals, book binding and paper manipulation, stitching and dyeing. There is always a book that is in-process, and they work in great partnership with rugs. In the last year she has restored several vintage pieces for others—and even a latch hook rug!
If you want to categorize her artistic style; it might be “abstract realism.” Georgia O’Keefe used those words to describe her own style and one could not be in better company—you think?
Aldersgate 2024 Class Description
Rick Rubin (the music producer) says “I can’t teach you but I can help you listen to yourself.”
I invite you to explore your work and pattern from a personal angle. Whether you design your own piece or work from a pattern I encourage the rug maker to take some chances and look at personal experience and how it may influence your work. Whether your piece is for yourself, a loved one, a healing self-expression or mere whimsy and play; we hope to look at how to best communicate intent and expressiveness with various materials and approaches. If you are wanting to “try” something, why not begin with hooking and take it to the next level? Hooking materials can range from wool to yarn or silk and t-shirts and almost any other fiber media. Even a traditionally hooked piece can take on a fresh “new” or contemporary look.
Workshop time is meant to encourage creativity and community. Technique, good loops and willingness to enjoy the hooking journey are the guide for expression. We will look at some design elements, color and mood. Want to learn? Want to have fun?
Hope you will join us.
I invite you to explore your work and pattern from a personal angle. Whether you design your own piece or work from a pattern I encourage the rug maker to take some chances and look at personal experience and how it may influence your work. Whether your piece is for yourself, a loved one, a healing self-expression or mere whimsy and play; we hope to look at how to best communicate intent and expressiveness with various materials and approaches. If you are wanting to “try” something, why not begin with hooking and take it to the next level? Hooking materials can range from wool to yarn or silk and t-shirts and almost any other fiber media. Even a traditionally hooked piece can take on a fresh “new” or contemporary look.
Workshop time is meant to encourage creativity and community. Technique, good loops and willingness to enjoy the hooking journey are the guide for expression. We will look at some design elements, color and mood. Want to learn? Want to have fun?
Hope you will join us.
Latest works:
Recently completed and exhibited “Heritage”—a small pseudo-selvage of a rug remnant, mended and hung from a carved crochet hook.
“Anniversary” – hooked bed sheets and wool with a sprinkling of beads.
“It’s Only a Paper Moon,” an adapted Deanne Fitzpatrick pattern with applique, traditional hooking and paper-clay moon.
Alice's Corn Arrow
Turquoise