R E B E C C A S P E A K E S
Fiber Artist
Fiber Artist
Photo: Gabriella Marks, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Art Quilts For Your Home & Pleasure.
My quilts are geometrically designed on a grid pattern in unusual shapes with rich color combinations. Reminiscent of M. C. Escher’s designs, they are very dimensional and directional. The foil-stamping on the fabrics makes them sparkle and glow in sunlight and evening light. Many quilts are embellished with beads and buttons adding more layers of depth and texture. All my quilts are hand-quilted which gives them a soft texture and feel. Hanging them in different directions changes their effect.
Arctic Spring
Quilt, 71” x 71"
$1,000.00
Seventh Heaven
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 16" x 45"
$525.00
My background includes 30 years in the Graphic Arts as a graphic designer, mostly as a self-employed freelancer. During this time I became familiar with methods of design, color theory, repeating grid patterns.
I have been a fiber artist since 1975 when I designed and crochetted clothes for myself. Eventually, I searched for a different medium which would allow for greater design flexibility. After taking some quilting classes, I began designing small wallhanging quilts. I employed my skills as a graphic designer to design geometric repeating quilt patterns.
During the following years I have made over 315 quilts. I explored quilt shapes other than squares and rectangles, like triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms. I've always loved color and shiny highlights. Many of the mini-quilts are embellished with foilstamping, beads, shells, metallic cording and gold mesh.
About 20 years ago I designed a home decor line of table runners, mug mats, placemats, pillows and bags. I used shapes from the quilts as design motifs. These creations are very colorful and fun. Each piece is 100% cotton canvas and batiks. The batiks are foilstamped to add to their vibrant color. They are featured in many galleries around the country, mainly the Southwest and Midwest.
I have been a fiber artist since 1975 when I designed and crochetted clothes for myself. Eventually, I searched for a different medium which would allow for greater design flexibility. After taking some quilting classes, I began designing small wallhanging quilts. I employed my skills as a graphic designer to design geometric repeating quilt patterns.
During the following years I have made over 315 quilts. I explored quilt shapes other than squares and rectangles, like triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms. I've always loved color and shiny highlights. Many of the mini-quilts are embellished with foilstamping, beads, shells, metallic cording and gold mesh.
About 20 years ago I designed a home decor line of table runners, mug mats, placemats, pillows and bags. I used shapes from the quilts as design motifs. These creations are very colorful and fun. Each piece is 100% cotton canvas and batiks. The batiks are foilstamped to add to their vibrant color. They are featured in many galleries around the country, mainly the Southwest and Midwest.
Garden Path
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 12" x 48"
$475.00
Vortex
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 22" x 23"
$225.00
|
Buckaroo
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 20" x 20"
$200.00
|
Red Alert
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 24" x 24"
$225.00
|
Boca Raton
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 22" x 23"
$200.00
|
Green Isle
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 21" x 25"
$225.00
|
Pomegranate Parade
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 19" x 23"
$200.00
|
Juicy Fruit
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 18" x 50"
$525.00
Blue Corn Enchilada
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 36" x 17"
$225,00
|
Jalapeño Cornbread
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 42" x 18"
$225.00
|
The Wild Wild West
Rebecca Speakes
Quilt, 21" x 21
$225.00
|
Gum Drop
Rebecca Speakes
Quilt, 17" x 16"
$95.00
|
Rosa's Cantina
Rebecca Speakes
Quilt, 19" x 20"
$200.00
|
A Wrinkle in Time
Rebecca Speakes
Quilt, 31" x 10"
$150.00
Neon
Rebecca Speakes
Quilt, 53" x 53"
$550.00
Millie Fiori
Rebecca Speakes
quilt, 16" x 48"
$525.00
THE ARTIST'S JOURNEY
I think I‘ve always been an artist, even before I realized it.
I think I‘ve always been an artist, even before I realized it.
Photo: Gabriella Marks, Santa Fe, New Mexico
My grandmother taught me to knit, crochet, sew and cook. She, being right-handed like me, was the logical teacher for me rather than my mother who was left-handed. Gram taught me these things as well as a passion for being creative. She was thorough and meticulous with everything she did. I’ve followed her example my entire life. During the 70s my passion was for designing and crocheting clothing. By the early 80s I was designing geometric quilt patterns using the graphic design skills I acquired working in the graphic arts and advertising art industry. Soon these professional design skills melded with my fiber art path. My art quilts employed a method of designing over a set of intersecting grid lines. Combined with repetition of these patterns my personal style evolved.
Another of my life long passions is gardening. When I moved to southwestern New Mexico I bought a small pink house with large cactus gardens. I’d always loved cactus and now I was surrounded by them, growing right outside my windows! This was heaven to me. The colors of the desert southwest influenced my art, changing my palette from the deep saturated colors of the North to the light dusty colors of the desert. Later the vibrant colors of desert flowers, sunsets and landscapes came forth in my quilts and mug mats. I’m drawn to these brilliant colors in batik fabrics and I add more sparkle to the fabrics by applying an embellishment of foil-stamping to every batik fabric I use in my artwork.
I‘ve lived in The Pink House for many years with my tuxedo cats and box turtles. I love the desert heat that warms my bones, my soul and even the plates in my cupboard. Finally I’ve dispelled the chill of the northland.
Every spring brings vivid flowers to my cactus gardens. These flowers have made their way into my artwork. I make pillows using fabric printed with the photos I’ve taken of cactus flowers.
Another of my life long passions is gardening. When I moved to southwestern New Mexico I bought a small pink house with large cactus gardens. I’d always loved cactus and now I was surrounded by them, growing right outside my windows! This was heaven to me. The colors of the desert southwest influenced my art, changing my palette from the deep saturated colors of the North to the light dusty colors of the desert. Later the vibrant colors of desert flowers, sunsets and landscapes came forth in my quilts and mug mats. I’m drawn to these brilliant colors in batik fabrics and I add more sparkle to the fabrics by applying an embellishment of foil-stamping to every batik fabric I use in my artwork.
I‘ve lived in The Pink House for many years with my tuxedo cats and box turtles. I love the desert heat that warms my bones, my soul and even the plates in my cupboard. Finally I’ve dispelled the chill of the northland.
Every spring brings vivid flowers to my cactus gardens. These flowers have made their way into my artwork. I make pillows using fabric printed with the photos I’ve taken of cactus flowers.
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