HEY hey.

After 20 years as a professional painter, Sarah Atlee pivoted to focus on quilting as her primary art form. Atlee is known for her colorful and geometric compositions, rich with energy and free-form texture. Using improvisational patchwork and reclaimed textiles, Atlee creates mindful, joyful quilts that are at home on both art gallery walls and your cozy couch.

Don’t be a stranger! Drop me a note, find me on Facebook and Instagram.

Contact INfo

Email: sarah@sarahatlee.com
Facebook: Sarah Atlee Makes Art
Instagram: @sarahatlee
LinkedIn: Sarah Atlee Makes Art
Twitch: Wheeless Studios
Pinterest: Sarah Atlee Makes Pictures

Artist Statement: Quilting

I am at a critical juncture in my art practice. For many years I have built a career on painting, exploring a variety of abstract and realist techniques. Having come to a place in painting where the medium no longer surprises me, I have shifted my focus to fiber art, quilting in particular. I now dedicate my full-time studio practice to exploring quilting as an art form.

Working with found, reclaimed, and donated fabrics is crucial to my practice. I source materials from what is around me – discarded clothing or other textiles, local thrift store finds, even antique market bargains. My experience using donated fabrics has taught me that even the unlikeliest materials can work together, if you’re willing to be surprised. In this way I can keep fabric out of the landfill while breaking down barriers around traditional expectations of quilting and fine art. By practicing an ancient art born of necessity, I connect with our shared past while reflecting on self-sufficiency in consumer culture.

Artist Statement: Abstraction

Sarah Atlee’s geometric abstractions in paint and paper are infused with the play between spontaneity and perfection. “I am increasingly influenced by modern quiltmaking, balancing the dual impulses of precision and improvisation – making perfect versus making do.” She explores the pure pleasure of placing color next to color, building a composition one stroke (or stitch) at a time, and honoring artisans of the past and present by building on tradition.