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Hilary Rice

With fibre as the basis of my work, I am able to combine an array of textiles, techniques and materials, often allowing the experimental results to inform my work and direct my actions.  I respond, feeling grounded and at the same time illuminated.  When I am working on a piece, it feels as though my soul is singing in harmony with the rest of my being, often accompanied by a sense of meditation.  Art making, for me, is a way of connecting with the world, a way of connecting what is inside, with what is outside.  My work touches and links me to the holy. 

Inspiration comes from somewhere deep within, often in response to a piece of text, a beautiful melody or the natural world I am moving through.  I spend time with a thought, and as it swells and swirls inside, focused images emerge.  My response is at times thought provoking, using a calming colour palette and gentle, moving lines.  At other times it can be celebrational, with a melding of materials that radiate magical delight!  It is always accompanied by an experience of ever-deepening spiritual and metaphysical relationship with my creator, strengthening the connection with each progressive piece.  This relationship is revealed through a complex layering, often exposing intense detail through use of harmonious colour, intricate stitch and flowing shape.  I invite you to be drawn into my world, and meet your creator, through my eyes.

Hilary Rice, an award-winning self-taught fibre artist, has an experimental, even playful approach to her use of a multiplicity of techniques and unusual materials, only made possible through her eclectic background.  Her classical music training at Queen’s University is evident in her colour filled, skilfully embellished, flowing textile-based works.  The diverse results, while strongly connected in design and style, offer a wide audience appeal.

Over the past 6 years, Hilary has developed a strong presence in the quilt art world across Canada, marketing her line of art quilt patterns under the “Mother Earth” label and teaching art and design based workshops.   She has exhibited widely, with work in national and international shows.  Her piece “Ethlyndryal the Protector” received the Award of Excellence at the 2007 Grand National Show in Kitchener-Waterloo.