Dynamic duo of ever-evolving fiber artists whose skillful works are at once delicate and powerful.

Wendy Bruce Bio

Growing up near Washington, DC, Wendy Bruce spent her weekends immersed in the rich world of art museums, where her passion for art was born.  It was in these institutions that Wendy decided she would dedicate her life to becoming an artist.  She went on to earn multiple degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, with a focus on painting and fiber art.  Wendy’s work has been recognized and featured in Fiber Art Now:  Excellence in Fibers IX, showcasing her mastery in the medium.  Her art has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the country, including notable institutions such as the Atlanta Museum of Art and the Tampa Museum of Art.  Currently based in Largo, Florida, Wendy’s studio practice delves deeply into themes of recovery, hope, and resilience.  Through her work, she explores the emotional and psychological journeys of individuals, weaving narratives that speak to perseverance and the human spirit.

Wendy Bruce Artist Statement

I draw with thread.  I’ve chosen to work with this material because thread can say things that can’t be communicated in any other medium.  It is very familiar to us and yet somehow very intriguing.  There is constant cutting and mending, allowing the work to continually evolve until completion.

Each piece is begun by machine stitching multiple intersecting black lines on water-soluble material.  Shapes begin to appear in the negative spaces, suggesting content.  Images of my subconscious begin to reach the conscious as a quiet conversation takes place between myself and the art.  The work continues to develop intuitively from there. The stitching is a meditative process requiring me to be present in the moment.

A peculiar thing happens when the works are exhibited.  At a distance, they appear to be prints; only when you get closer are you surprised to see they are only fragile thread.  As a result, there is an intimacy created between the viewer and the art.

My intention is to communicate a message of resilience and strength with an understanding that despite life’s challenges, everything will turn out okay in the end.

Megan Maher Pierce Bio

Meg Maher Pierce grew up in the Buffalo area. A graduate of the College of New Rochelle, she went on to gain a Masters in Art and Art Education from Columbia University, NY, NY and a MFA in Painting from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. She was a teacher of art the Herricks Schools, New Hyde Park, on Long Island from 1969-2001 and found teaching to be an extraordinary source of energy and pride. She lost her beloved husband Vernon Pierce in 2008, and she now devotes herself totally to her art practice in Sarasota, Florida.

Her latest work has been with hand stitching, indigo dye, cyanotype, mixed media, collage and painting featuring vintage fiber, silk flowers, leaves and found objects.
She has shown widely in the NY area, as well as recently at Florida CraftArt St Petersburg, FL, SPAACES, Sarasota FL, Selby Gallery, Ringling College of Art & Design, Sarasota, FL, Harmony Gallery, Sarasota, FL and Art Center Sarasota, FL. Dunedin Fine Art Center, FL

Megan Maher Artist Statement

Hand stitching has become the substance and form of my daily life. My hours are spent creating peaceful and complex expressions of interior life in thread. It is solitary and I believe redemptive.

I often stitch on traditionally feminine found vintage linens such as handkerchiefs and tablecloths. They are often worn and frayed by time as we are. The art they inspire celebrates  peace, nuance and delicacy.

My focus has become more intimate as I aged. Early watercolor paintings were inspired by NASA mosaic photos from space. My complex mandala collages using photos and maps are archetypal forms. But recently I use the more personal vintage lace and fabrics, sewing notions, and stitching along with paint on canvas. Three-dimensional expressions have followed.

Beyond a nostalgic appeal of historic fiber, I aesthetically respond to the delicate variations of color and line of embroidery and lace. I do not use these resources ironically. I have come to own this delicacy and its floral femininity as formal qualities. I find inspiration in the complex patterns of vintage lace, its feminine aura and textural richness. I honor the work of the anonymous women who have left us an art of subtlety and quietude. Other influences are the richly decorated Indian “palampore” bed covers of the 18th century. All complex curvilinear floral botanical themes delight me.

However, the grids and muted colors I use form counterpoints to floral arabesques. The repetitive grid and a limited palette reveal a contemporary viewpoint and represent my reverence for Agnes Martin, a personal hero.

This body of work creates a complex visual experience. But on another level the stitching, fabric, lace, string, pins and layers of paint are also my metaphors for interior life. Our spirit is constructed year by year with levels of experience and feeling. They become woven together and defend our center. The intricacy of this web often remains hidden, discovered only upon careful reflection.

I feel that in this later work I have found a way to align a contemporary aesthetic with a deep personal expression of my history and self: a delicate, meditative and peaceful art.