Susan Hoffmann
Using a photo I’ve taken for inspiration, I begin the creative process by preparing the background using a variety of surface design techniques on cotton fabric- hand-dying, over-dying, hand-painting, or batik. Once the background is set, I work from the back of the scene forward, freehand cutting each element of the composition from different cotton fabrics. (No patterns or templates are used.) The intricately cut pieces are then layered and applied with a pH neutral permanent adhesive to recreate the scene. Most of my artwork requires 10-12 different cotton fabrics; the hundreds of hand cut pieces are applied in upwards of 6 layers. Pastels and ink are used to finish each piece. Then it is professionally framed under conservation glass.
