Fiber artists practice an art form that, unlike other mediums, uses pieces of fabric, needles and thread to create works that are described by many as painterly. Yvonne Steere is one such artist, having perfected the time-consuming craft of creating unique textile art pieces.
Born and raised in Boston, Steere received two master’s degrees in education from what is now called Bridgewater State University. Having had an attention disorder when she was young, Steere says she felt compelled to work with children in her earlier adult years.
“A lot is the recognition in children, who pick up life’s lessons their own way,” she explains.
However, Steere says she was also introduced to sewing and quilting at an early age.
“My grandmother, my Nana, was a seamstress. She raised her children with that. She ended up living with us and taught me how to sew. It provided me with great comfort; it would just flow through me.”
Steere’s father was a structural engineer and her mother was a “worker bee” who worked for several businesses. Her mother also taught her three children how to keep busy and instilled in them a penchant for helping others.
“People now don’t understand it,” says Steere.
Having taken the advice to heart, Steere has continually given back to the communities she has called home. Today she is the board chair of the Cultural Council of Indian River County, whose goal is to promote the cultural arts through education, collaboration, marketing and advocacy.
Although their work is vital, Steere says ruefully, that “we haven’t been good at tooting our horn.”
Steere says she gets the ideas for each new textile piece from a drawing or a picture she has taken, and then begins “strip quilting,” cutting strips of cloth. She prefers utilizing natural tones, but also likes to show vibrancy in color, noting, “Nature is such an inspiration for me.”
Steere primarily uses two approaches in her creation of fiber art pieces.
One uses strips of cotton, silk and natural fibers, which are then sewn onto canvas in such a way as to become a recognizable picture, such as in an extraordinary depiction of her dog. In that piece and others, she gives the work additional texture with a technique known as trapunto, or stuffed work, to form the contours of the dog’s face. Other times, the finished product may be an abstraction.
With the other process, the fabric is first treated with iron sulfate. Steere then makes an overlay on the fabric, such as leaves she has gathered, rolls it up tightly, and steams it for about three hours. The steam brings out the image that has been pressed onto the fabric.
“Taking leaves from outdoor plants, it is interesting to see how, say, a eucalyptus leaf transfers. A lot is learning what time of year to harvest the leaves and playing with the depth perception of the piece,” she explains.
“Learning how certain plants transfer, what color happens and comes forth for you, takes practice.”
Occasionally, Steere says, she will put a dye such as indigo on the fabric and then place the leaf, before following with the same tight rolling and steaming.
“The Mahoe tree puts in yellow in the morning, orange in the afternoon, and burgundy in late day. Each one of these makes a beautiful transfer. I discover things by just walking around outside,” says Steere.
“Give me a piece of fabric and I am a happy girl. It has been a source of comfort many times in my life. I’m such a tactile person. And sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and start creating.”
Steere notes that as a tactile tool, people who are blind can ‘view’ fiber art pieces just by picking them up and feeling them.
She believes that the art form has recently become much more recognized and accepted, and says she enjoys viewing the unique works of other fiber artists to interpret their techniques and learn what else can be done.
“There is a real movement in fiber artists in this community now that wasn’t here when I arrived in 2010,” says Steere. “As we’ve matured, the appreciation level has grown. Although sewing has always been around, we are just taking it to a higher level.”
Steere comments that through her work with the Cultural Council and the Vero Beach Art Club, she has worked with children with behavioral issues, helping them overcome their problems through art.
“We have worked with veterans who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and find the art really helps them get through things,” she adds.
Steere laments that many of those in government have no appreciation for the arts. As a result, organizations throughout the state have had their funding not just cut, but eliminated, meaning that there is less money to pay for those types of outreach programs.
“But in the loss of these funds there has been great support,” says Steere, noting that individuals often step up to the plate.
“We [the Cultural Council] advocate art at all levels. We work with students at the high school, working through their art teachers. This gives us the entrée to get funds for our programs”, says Steere.
Steere’s work can be viewed at the Vero Beach Art Club’s annual Art by the Sea show and sale at the Vero Beach Museum of Art Jan. 10-12; at the Intergenerational Center as part of the Art in Public Places Program through Jan. 16; and at a monthlong fiber art-focused show at the Center for Spiritual Care beginning Jan. 2.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
