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The My Beautiful City and Tempe is Different series started with taking photos of the Phoenix on walks with my dog Goody in Fall of 2007. Over several months I had accumulated hundreds of digital shots of street views, buildings, curious angles and regular vantage points. I wanted to do something with these images, that was my point, right?

I printed them out on 8 1/2 x 11" paper, then I took tracing paper and outlined the interesting bits of the images. When I had multiple tracings I realized I could rearrange them - taking one view and matching it up with a totally different view - to create a vistas that does not occur in real life. It was amazing how the pieces "fit" together, like puzzle pieces I began to make entirely new streets and avenues. Seen here.

From there I wanted to sew them - somehow. But, even as a sewist, I wasn't sure what that meant. I spent months puzzling this out - quilting, patchwork, hand stitching, embroidery, or simply sewing on my machine.

I took the 8 1/2 x 11" tracings and reduced them down by 42% on my copier and printed the drawings out onto quilting paper (which is soft and almost fabric-like), from there I took the "puzzle pieces", fitting them together to make my new streets and avenues and then sewed them onto fabric (which I dyed with monoprinting ink), on top of paper. Then I hand colored each piece using a selective, limited palette of colors.

I made a total of 10 for the series on Phoenix. I worked with an independent framer in Tucson, AZ to create the look I was trying to achieve - each piece floats within framed glass. I did a total of 6 pieces for the series on Tempe which are unframed. Four of each series remain available for sale.

Exhibits + Press:
January 1-31, 2010 : Practical Art, Phoenix
February 3, 2010 : Roka Akor, Scottsdale
March 2010 : QuickPHX:Art, Phoenix New Times

Please contact me if you are interested in seeing additional images or simply go to my Etsy shop to purchase online.