This post is the first in a series of three “Finish Line” posts featuring students who excel at fabric collage. The three I chose—Darlene Determan, Joanne Hannon Shaw, and Marilyn Davidson—are all long-time students. They continue to come to my classes mostly because it gives us all a chance to see each other once or twice a year and share our love of this art form.
As you will see from their work, they are all three accomplished artists. I give them pointers and encouragement still, and they tell me the value of my insight into their work, but at this point any improvements they make to their technique will be more a matter of their hard work than my guidance.
Enjoy these three consecutive blog posts featuring each one of these three fabric collage artists.
To describe Darlene as a student of mine doesn’t scratch the surface of our relationship. Sure, she’s probably taken more classes from me than any other person. But more important is our friendship, which has grown through the years since she took that first fish class at Portsmouth Fabric Company (in New Hampshire) a decade ago.
We don’t really remember when we first met, but now she’s one of my best friends. It’s not just the classes and retreats. She’s adopted my whole family. She’s lovely with my parents. She and her husband Len have hosted not only me but my entire family, including stays at their Maine beach house, providing landing pads and mini-vacations. Most importantly, our dogs get along.
Here’s an example of how sweet she is: when I was going through cancer treatment in 2012 and for health reasons I started to eat vegan, she got the recipes and ate the same diet as me even though she was in Denver and I was in Maine. She even made her husband, Len, eat that way to show me long-distance support.
Her work as you can see from the quilts below is bold and bright and beautiful.
When she first began to attend my classes, she was a typical student who needed the normal amount of guidance and encouragement. Over time she has worked with this technique so diligently and consistently that she is now more capable than she realizes. These days, the things she sees and does automatically, I would have had to point out to her years ago. When I do give a critique on her work, we have come to share a sort of shorthand language. She understands immediately what I’m pointing out.
Fabric collage has benefitted me in many ways—a career, income, travel—but none is more important than the friends I have made, like Darlene.
Enjoy Darlene’s quilts. The descriptions are her own words. You can click on any of the smaller images to view them larger.
My First Fish (pre-2010)
“Created in a three-hour class at Portsmouth Fabric Company. I felt like I was in kindergarten. I was hooked after that class!”
Determan’s Half Acre (2010)
“This is based on artwork by graphic designer, Mizer. I hired her to create my childhood home. I have this piece on my bedroom wall so I see if first thing in the morning. It always makes me smile. It is crude compared to the detail of my later pieces but it is important to me to see where I have come from. Especially when nothing is working.”
Mr Z (2011)
“This was my first attempt at a complicated animal. Based on a photo by Jim Baar. All my quilts are memory quilts. This was one of three from a trip to Africa. I learned about the importance of layering making his nose. Every time I rebuilt it, the edges of the previous nose still showed, but I left it as is. This happened several times, but the end result has more depth because of it.”
Chapel (2012)
“Based on a photo by my husband Len Edgerly of his parents entering Harvard Chapel. I wanted something to remember them by. It is easier for me to make mementos such as these while they are still alive.”
Ellie (2013)
“This was from a photograph by Jim Baar. Another memory of our trip to South Africa. I worked on this collage over a span of a couple years.”
Hippos on Holiday (2013)
“My husband took this photo in Africa. This piece is when I fell in love working with Kaffe Fassett fabrics. The color treatment for the water came to me in the shower.”
Charlie and the Ball (2014)
“This photo of my step-daughter’s dog was taken by her friend. I knew as soon as I saw it I had to make it into a quilt. Now my young grandsons proudly have a canvas copy of it in their family kitchen. The quilt was in a show in Denver that traveled to different hospitals for a year. To see how the exhibit gave comfort to people in stress was a wonderful experience.”
“Can I Help You, Officer?” (2015)
“Base on a photograph by Len Edgerly, this is my favorite picture of our little Yorkie, Claire. I wanted to make it in fiber for years but it seemed too complicated. I added other family dogs in the two car mirrors and fall foliage of the east coast for the background. That particular car, Dimples [caught in a hailstorm] was an important part of the memory.”
The Day I Became a Tulip (2016)
“This photo was taken by my friend Tish Atkinson when we were in Holland. Standing in a field of tulips was a magical experience. My mother-in-law had given me a bright orange coat for the trip. Standing in a field of orange tulips I felt like a tulip!”
Parrotfish (2016)
“I made the fish for the fun of it in a two day class when Susan came to teach in Colorado. It was on my design board for several months. One day when I was suppose to be cleaning my studio I started grabbing fabric and the next thing I knew I had put the fish in a tropical reef setting. Who says procrastination is a bad thing?”
Claire and the Lion (2017)
“Based on a photo by Len Edgerly. I went back to a B&B in Montreal because of the lion statues. I had planned to get a pic of Claire with a lion. She must have known because when we arrived she went right up and sat by one of the stone lions as if it was her idea. My husband snapped a couple pictures and I had a photo for my next collage.”
“Do You Come Here Often?” (2018)
“Based on a photo by my sister Debz Determan. Galapagos memories supplied inspiration for my next two quilts. My husband was lucky enough to have a sea lion come up to him. The background is my rendition of the Ecuadorian logo.”
Blue Footed Boobies (2018)
“Based on another photo by Debz Determan. I love how silly they look. Every one of them is looking a different direction and they all look slightly confused. The blue feet is why I wanted to create a collage of them, but their expressions are why I laugh whenever I see them.”
“Awww Mom” (2018)
“Based on an image by photographer Marilyn Parver. I loved the giraffes on my trip to Africa and when I saw the photo by Ms. Parver I fell in love with it. It was sitting in my studio for over 6 months before I got the nerve to call her and ask if I could use it. I wanted to try to use fabrics in the background that were similar values as the giraffes. It was challenging. It works for me but some older folks have trouble identifying the subjects.”
Thank you, Darlene, for sharing your work with us. And for sharing your friendship with me.
Beautiful portfolio of work. Darlene deserves much praise for all the efforts and love she pours into her art.
Love you and your art, Darlene! You were making Parrotfish when you snd Susan taught me this quilt technique in Denver. You were so kind to offer so many fabrics you anticipated I would use in my beloved trout project. And then to haul us around Denver to several fabric stores hunting for the perfect netting! You are a gem and I am grateful for all the ways you love and invest in others. You and Len are wonderful hosts! Very fun to see your family home in fabric. Cheers!
Darlene, your portfolio is amazing! It is encouraging to see your growth. Claire is adorable. Hope I see you in another class.
Darlene’s use of color is glorious and her ability to infuse so much personality into her animal subjects is amazing! Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Stunning work! I think the “Blue-Footed Boobies” was being worked on at a workshop I took in Harpswell with you several years ago? ….Darlene’s collection is just amazing and inspiring! Thanks for sharing these, Susan, they speak to your amazing instruction and the unparalleled talent of the artist!
Beautiful quilting and subject matter very interesting, a look into the creative process fantastic…
Darlene, it is so wonderful to see your portfolio this morning. Your work is so alive and vibrant and filled with your joy of your subjects and the creative process. I hope to meet again. Thanks for sharing your work with so many. Karen, maker of the grasshopper, Delilah.
I had the privilege of being in class with Darlene in October 2017 in Portland when the Blue-footed Boobies and the sea lion were in progress, so I especially loved getting to see them completed. Little Claire dog and the elephant are some of my favorites, and reading about the extraordinary friendship between the two of you is heartwarming. Thanks for sharing!
I live in Brasil and love your work. I see every post and I’ve bought your book. I’m 75 old and
trying to start collage. Congratulations, you have a wonderful art work. Celina
Hi Darlene! Thank you for sharing so many of these great works, many of which I haven’t seen before. But I think you forgot to mention that ‘Ellie’ was featured in a magazine! I love your colors in all of your work! Beautiful!
Thoroughly enjoyed seeing Darlene’s work and the progression over the years. Her art quilts are gorgeous. I can’t decide which one I like best. Love Charlie & the Ball & all the animals but Chapel is so touching. The details on the people in her quilts is amazing. Thank you for sharing Darlene’s work everyone. Beautiful, amazing and inspiring!
Thank you Susan for sharing your amazing talent and skills. I have both of your books and have learned so much about collage quilting even though I have never seen an original of your quilts. I also enjoy your newsletter
I am to the point of learning about the stitching. I would love to see some tips on the actually stitching. I could really benefit from some video clips. Do you have any short videos that might help me get started?
Again, Thank you for your wonderful contribution to the arts.
Connie Reilly
This is your best blog yet. Not only for her astounding art work, but also for your heartfelt explanation of your all-encompassing friendship with Darlene. You’ve made my day! Thank you.
Such an amazing collection of collages from Darlene! I have tried my hand at some small collages and the more I see of your students and your art, the more I am learning! Time for me to take the plunge to some more challenging portrait work! Thanks for the inspiration Susan and Darlene
Darlene, So good to see more of your work. I love your color choices and subjects. My next project, hopefully this summer is a beloved dog that belonged to my daughter’s fiancé. It’s a black border collie. I may need some guidance from Susan on all black….but your colorful work just made me realize that I could put the color in the background!
Thank you, Darlene, for coaching me in my first trout project!! We hauled all over Denver ala Uber to find the perfect netting for my project and I couldn’t believe that you prioritized this detail with so much intention… ha…the fabric stash you welcomed me to ravage made my project all the more fun and after spending classtime in Denver with Susan we worked overtime In your home studio to finish. What a dear you are!! And thank you, Susan, for your gentle expertise and warmth as we touristed the area.
I’m privileged to have witnessed Darlene’s transformation from contemporary quilter with her own unique style to a true art quilter. There are so many memories of her progress on many of these pieces. It has been a revelation that has me in awe of Darlene’s talent. This is a wonderful summary of Darlene’s art and, of course, I’ve had my favorites all along. Love the zebra, a picture of which has been on my wall since she completed the quilt. But my all-time favorite is Ellie. Love everything about Ellie: the colors, the background, the pose.
Darlene do you by any chance do collage classes in Denver? Love your work. It gives me such inspiration.
So pretty! I definitely have to remember this. <3
Darlene’s artwork is amazing the student is a master.
These are all fantastic! Love the subject matter in all of them too! Thanks for sharing this story.
You are an inspiration! Simply breathtaking. I am just getting started and I hope I progress to your level of work.
Susan, thank you for all these wonderful photos of Darlene and her stunning quilts and art. I cherish the time I spent with Darlene, Marilyn, Joanne and you. I love seeing more of their work in these emails. Thank you all for sharing your gifts with so many. Absolutely beautiful art!! Love to all of you, Karen
I have been looking at your work and the work of your student’s. It is beyond amazing. I have looked on line and cannot seem to find a teaching schedule for 2024. If you have the class schedule I would appreciate it if you could help me find it. Take care and keep on creating.
LOVE these! Darlene’s sense of whimsy and color speak joy!
I am another recipient of a generous gift from Darlene’s stash of the perfect fabric for a collage I was working on in a class of Susan’s many years ago at Harpswell. Not only does she have a great eye, she was also fun to be with! I still think of you, Darlene, when I look at my piece. Thanks, again!
How much fun to see these “repeat” posts, especially since I was not addicted when they were first posted! These quilts all true inspiration.