Karen Musgrave (KM): This is Karen Musgrave and I am doing a Quilters' S.O.S. – Save Our Stories interview with Sue Reno. Since we can't be together, we are conducting this interview through emails. Sue lives in Columbia, Pennsylvania. We have begun on November 17, 2007. Sue thanks for agreeing to allow me to interview you. Please tell me about the postcards you selected for this interview.

Sue Reno (SR): I selected these two cards, "Moonvine" and "Hackberry" for several reasons. First, they are examples of two surface design techniques that I find fascinating and very useful. "Moonvine" is a cyanotype, an early photographic type process where the fabric is chemically treated, an object is laid on it, it's placed in the sun for a timed exposure, and the chemicals are rinsed off, leaving a white image with a Prussian blue background. Hackberry is a heliographic print, also known as a sunprint, using textile paints. Both processes are relatively simple on the face of it, but because I am dealing with variable light and weather conditions, and natural objects such as leaves, there's a certain finesse involved in getting the results I want, and I enjoy the element of unpredictability.

Next, they represent two artistic goals I often strive for. "Moonvine" is serene and calm, a somewhat minimalist card, yet hopefully still engaging because of the elegant shape of the leaf and the subtle details. Hackberry is very energetic—the leaf is practically vibrating off the card. For me it represents the changeable nature that growing plants have. That's one of the joys and challenges of working in such a small format—how can you say something worthwhile in an area 4" x 6"? One response, and it can be a valid one, is to squeeze in or pile on a lot; my response is to focus on one idea and try and be succinct in expressing it.

Third, both cards feature leaves from plants that grow in my yard. I do a lot of gardening and a lot of hiking, and I am intimately familiar with the plants I use in artwork. I don't use them just because they are beautiful, although they usually are, but because they have been a part of my life, shading me or feeding me or entertaining me, feeding wildlife and insects, needing to be pruned or watered, harvested or composted, planted or dug up, and otherwise tended to. I try to distill everything I know about a particular plant into the choices I have when making an image and stitching on it, and these two cards are a reflection of that process as well.

Finally, I chose these two because I have them in my collection! I have made hundreds of postcards, and have traded most of them, and sold a few. I keep these two, and a few others, for myself, because they were important to me.

KM: Tell me how you got involved in trading postcards.

SR: In 2003 Kathy Loomis had solicited volunteers from the Quiltart internet list for a conceptual art project involving tourist postcards. I had participated, because I have always loved collecting and sending and receiving postcards from travel destinations. In October 2003, Jackie Moravcik sent this post to Quiltart: 'So how is your postcard project coming, Kathy?

I was thinking of doing a similar project, but we would create the postcards instead.

Anyone interested in a project like this? It would entail making a series of mailable postcards to send to each member--not a round robin, but we would all end up with a collection of hand-made postcards from all over. Any takers? Jackie'

I jumped on the opportunity, as did 41 other artists, and we were soon organized, with mailing lists and a deadline and guidelines for the postcards. The guidelines were very loose, as the project was very experimental. We set the size at 4" x 6", but beyond that, everyone was free to format them however they pleased. We weren't even certain quilted postcards could be sent through the mail—we did some test cards to try out the system. Everyone sent cards to half the list, as 21 cards seemed like quite a lot, and it was a roaring success. All of the artists put a lot of thought and effort and talent into their cards, they were truly miniature works of art, and finding them in your mailbox over a period of weeks amongst the bills and junk mail was really a thrill.

Another thrill was the online interaction with the other artists. It was one of those wonderful moments in life where we quickly developed a healthy and happy group dynamic. We supported and encouraged each other in really meaningful ways, and had a lot of fun, and became friends. I think it was partly because we weren't trying to prove anything or accomplish anything beyond the pure pleasure of creating something unique and beautiful, and sending it out into the world with no strings attached.

Carol Logan Newbill volunteered to host a website where we could share pictures of the cards, and it too was a rousing success. It became the Art2Mail site, which spawned the Postmark'd Art spin-off group and site, and many other exchange groups as well. It gave legitimacy and an online presence to the concept and our group, and led to various other opportunities and events as the phenomenon of quilted postcards spread.

KM: Do you think the exchanges will continue? How have the exchanges changed over time?

SR: I hope they continue! I think they are still valid, both as an artistic endeavor and a social convention. This whole phenomenon has gone through several distinct phases, starting with the joy of discovery, novelty, and experimentation, then the bandwagon phase, where it spread and became a mainstream activity, followed by the backlash/critical phase, where some people got bored, and others questioned the validity of the format as true art. Personally, I still get a lot of enjoyment from the exchanges. I like the challenge of working in the 4" x 6" size, of coming up with fresh ideas. I like making them—it's so satisfying to have stacks of them, lined up and ready to go to the post office. I love receiving them from all over the world; it's a childlike thrill I hope I never outgrow. And it continues to be a great way to get to know another artist, by chatting online and then getting to hold a piece of their art in your hands. The world seems a little smaller and friendlier when you have those kinds of connections.

The wonderful work done by Virginia Spiegel, in her postcard fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, has been well documented. She took this idea and ran with it to a whole other level. In one sense it was an exchange on a grand and altruistic scale. I think we will continue to see postcard-sized work, as well as Artist Trading Cards and Journal Quilts, used for fundraisers; it has become an established part of the quilt world.

KM: Let's expand our discussion to quilts since I know you are a quiltmaker. Tell me about your interest in making quilts.

SR: I was raised in a very traditional Pennsylvania Dutch community. One of the virtues held dear in that community is self-reliance. We raised and processed a lot of our own food, sewed our own clothes, and so forth. I started sewing as a very small child, and gained a lot of experience making garments and working with different types of fabrics. I went on to make a few somewhat traditional quilts—not too traditional because I got bored following patterns! But I learned how to trace and cut from templates, and match points exactly, and do fine hand quilting. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for that kind of work, but ultimately it wasn't satisfying for me.

Somewhere around 1979 I saw a small exhibit that traveled to a local university, featuring work in the nascent art quilt movement. It was tremendously exciting and revelatory for me. There was early work by Nancy Crow and Michael James, but what really riveted me to the spot was the work of Wenda F. von Weise. She was working with photographs and cyanotypes, documenting a nearby farm that was being lost to development, and I had never seen anything so wonderful and compelling. She died too young, and you don't see her mentioned often, but just seeing her work that one time was a huge influence for me.

Not an immediate influence, though; I was busy with a young family and other distractions, and while it was always in the back of my mind, and I continued to make quilts when I could, it wasn't until the advent of the internet and the Quiltart list that I was able to act on that desire. I tracked down a source of treated cyanotype fabric, and the first time I made a print I knew I had found my medium. That first print became the quilt, "Poke Salad", which won an honorable mention in the first show I ever entered. The outside validation was wonderful, but I already knew by that point what would be driving me forward—I like the dilemma posed by an idea for a new quilt, and the work involved in tapping the skill and mental resources I need to make the reality match the vision. I am definitely in love with the process, and the product is a happy side effect.

KM: Do you think of yourself more as an artist or a quiltmaker or do you even make a distinction?

SR: I think of myself as an artist who uses quiltmaking techniques. I wish it wasn't necessary to make the distinction. In my ideal universe, the line between art and fine craftsmanship would get a little blurrier; because I think anyone who reaches the level of a master craftsperson is bound to imbue their work with the kind of kind of meaning and transcendence we look for when we talk about art. But I also understand the need for classifications, to label things as a means to understanding them, so when forced to choose I come down on the "art" side of the divide.

What I am trying to do in my work is the expression of an idea. All of my work has an environmental theme, although it is not always blatant. I have a theory that in order for people to care about the environment, they need first to be aware of it. People lead busy lives, and not everyone has the luxury of time, and the proximity to natural areas, to go out and appreciate what goes on in the natural world. So I think of myself as a sort of interpreter. When I am struck by something beautiful and amazing, I see it as my job to make an image of it that will convey some of my amazement and enthusiasm. I am very picky about my workmanship, because I want it to enhance and not distract from the images and the ideas. But the ideas come first, and the quiltmaking techniques back it up.

KM: I love that you're into process. Describe your studio/workspace.

SR: For years I had a corner of the family room in the daylight basement of our home, and was very glad to have a dedicated space, however small, of my own. Now that we are empty nesters, most of the room is mine, and it's a big improvement. I have all the usual things; shelving for storage, a work table, a sewing machine in a cabinet, an ironing board, and a desk. There's a sink where I can rinse out prints, and best of all is easy access to the yard, because in nice weather I spend a lot of time back and forth picking leaves, making prints, and painting yardage. It's not a dream studio—I wish I had more storage, and more table space, but it works.

I have several large felt covered foam boards I use as portable design walls. I can stack them up, if needed, because I frequently work on more than one piece at time. I am fairly organized in the studio. I will get out a lot of fabric, and have it strewn about a bit when I am in the throes of creation, but once a top is finished I clean it all up and put it away again. I don't like a lot of visual clutter, and I like to be able to find something when I want it. I am fortunate to have a very good color and pattern memory. I have a fabric stash that goes back to the 40's and 50's, starting with my mother's dressmaking scraps, and I have a fairly clear picture of it all in my mind. I can go into a fabric store and pull a color to match scraps from a dress I made in high school, and when I bring it home and pull the scraps, it's the right match. So I have my fabrics sorted by color families in closed bins—I don't need to have it out in the open.

KM: What advice would you offer someone starting out?

SR: In order for your work to be meaningful to others and convey ideas and emotions, it needs to be meaningful to you. It should have content. The content can be profound or profane, but it should be an expression of something you care about and are intimately familiar with. We are all experts in something, whether we have trained for it formally or have been keen observers as we go through life.

I feel that it's important to take the time to think about, first of all, what is important to you, and secondly, what you know. It's the same advice you often hear given to aspiring writers—write what you know. If you quilt what you know, your passion and understanding for your subject or theme will come through. If you work with a subject that you know and care about, your work will never be trite. If choose to portray a basket of puppies in a field of sunflowers, not because they are cute and trendy, but because you spend a lot of time with your dogs and you raise sunflowers, your work will not be clichéd. It will reflect your unique perspective on a subject that is near and dear to you. If you choose to work with abstraction, ideally it should be an abstraction of something that's tangible in your mind. I think that what is often referred to as talent, that mysterious gift from above granted only to a select few, is actually accessible to everyone who is willing to do the work of finding out what is significant and important to them and then figuring out the means of expressing it.

Learn to trust your own judgment. If you feel you need formal training in design, or want to learn how to draw, or want to study a color wheel, or become a free motion quilting expert, go ahead and acquire those skills. But at some point you need to move beyond being a student and just be someone who creates. It's possible to over think your work, to worry too much about what technique you are using, or whether orange is popular this year, or if your sister or the show judges will like your basket of puppies. You need to have the confidence in your own abilities to get out of your own way and do what you want to do because it is exciting to you and you can't wait to see how it turns out. Ironically, the more you make quilts to please yourself, the more they will please others, because they will be a true expression of what makes you unique as an individual, and that is always interesting to see.

KM: Great advice. Whose works are you drawn to and why?

SR: That's a tough question. I know a lot of artists whose work I admire, but I don't want to start naming names for fear of inadvertently leaving someone out! I have very eclectic tastes. I don't favor any one style of work, but I do look for the same expression of passion I try to put into my own work.

KM: Fair enough. Why is the making of quilts important to you?

SR: I am very driven. By nature and/or nurture, I have a strong work ethic. I'm not very good at the kinds of things people do to relax and enjoy their free time. I'm happiest when I am somewhere in the process of making things, either thinking about what I can do, or engaged in the actual physical process of cutting and sewing. It's not that I can't enjoy a night out, or a vacation, but these are just pleasant interruptions in the actual business of my life, which is making things.

And I am fully cognizant of how fortunate I am to have a lifestyle where I have the luxury of having some spare time, energy, and resources to pursue activities that are not essential to my daily survival. I feel some sort of responsibility to use this opportunity wisely.

So why quiltmaking? Partly because I have the skills. I've been working with fabric and thread most of my life, I understand it, and I know how to employ it to meet my artistic goals. But beyond that, I find that art quilts, or fiber arts, are a very satisfying artistic medium. There's a textural component that you can only get with fabric that I find beguiling. People relate to fabric, and quilts, on a very basic level, because everyone has the experience of fabric in their lives, in clothing and bedding and so on. To take that familiar medium and try to elevate it to a higher purpose, or at least a different purpose, is an appealing exercise.

I live in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is home to the finest non-irrigated farmland in the country. It has the most farm stands and markets per capita in the country. It has unique and stunningly beautiful areas of woodland. All of these wonders are under a tremendous amount of development pressure. Fortunately, there are also very active and successful farmland and woodland conservation groups, working to preserve what's still intact. I help where I can, but I don't have the kinds of abilities that lend themselves to serving on committees and pushing for political action. What I do have is some amount of artistic ability and the desire to document the splendor of the natural environment. My ultimate goal in making quilts is to produce the kind of work that can draw attention to and help raise awareness of these issues that are important to me.

KM: You've mentioned the Quiltart listserve and the different postcard groups, so do you belong to any other art or quilt groups? How important is belonging to group to your work?

SR: Online, I also belong to Studio Art Quilt Associates and the Kansas Art Quilters. All of the online forums I participate in have been instrumental in my development as an artist. Having a group of bright and like-minded individuals to share encouragement and camaraderie with is wonderful. I've made a lot of friends online that I've then had the chance to meet in person, and quilting people are without a doubt some of the nicest and friendliest people anywhere. Mary Manahan was kind enough to introduce me to the Eclectic Quilters, a group of talented artists that meet in the Philadelphia area, and while I don't get to attend their meetings as often as I would like to, it's great fun when I do. It's energizing to be with a group where you don't have to spend time defining your terms and explaining what it is you do, where you can jump straight to the heart of the matter. I also pleased to be involved with the Pennsylvania Arts Experience, a regional group of fine artists and craftspeople that is working to build and promote an Artist's Trail in the area.

I rely on all these groups to provide social interaction, news and views, philosophical discussions on the nature of art, and marketing and exhibition opportunities. I seldom turn to them for help on the actual construction of quilts or design questions. That process is an internal one for me and I don't usually share my work until it is complete. I am so ruthless in my own personal and ongoing critique, and so clear in my vision for my work, that I don't feel the need for external critique.

KM: Before we conclude I'd like to return to postcards, how do you use/display the postcards that you've gotten in your exchanges? How do you display the ones that you have kept for yourself?

SR: When they first arrive in the mail, I keep them out in a bowl on the counter or the coffee table, so that I can get to know them and everyone can admire them for a while. Eventually, I transfer them to plastic photo pockets that I keep in notebooks, along with the relevant information that went with each exchange. I revisit them often, and collectively they not only delight me with their beauty and creativity, but they serve as a reminder to that particular moment in time and that particular group of artists.

I've had a few of the ones I've kept professionally framed, and I'd like to do more. They look great framed up to an 8 x 10 size. I'm not always a big fan of framing textiles, but in this instance I think it works well to enhance the work.

KM: Sue thanks so much for taking your time to do this interview with me. Is there anything else you would like to share before we conclude our interview?

SR: It's been my pleasure, Karen. I appreciate the opportunity to do this interview, and I think we've covered a lot of ground. I'm glad you are documenting the postcard exchanges; they've been an important part of many quilters' lives, and a lot of fun as well.

KM: Thanks again. You were great! Our interview concluded on November 18, 2007.