About The Artist
BELINDA HART IS A CONTEMPORARY MIXED MEDIA ARTIST WHO WORKS IN TEXTILES AND FIBER. SHE DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE COLORS, TEXTURES AND ORGANIC PATTERNS THAT OCCUR IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. WORKING FROM HER STUDIO, WINDOWS ON WOODSTOCK IN THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, SHE TRANSLATES HER INSPIRATIONAL SURROUNDINGS INTO COMPLEX CLOTH, UTILIZING HAND-DYING, PAINTING AND SCREEN PRINTING ON COTTONS AND SILKS. THE ALTERED FABRIC IS THEN LAYERED AND OFTEN STITCHED TO CREATE TEXTURE AND ENHANCE THE SURFACE IMAGES.
“I have always loved art that takes the more tactile form of fabrics or mixed media. Creating work that invokes an invitation to touch is a satisfying endeavor”, said the artist. “I create art from the infinite and exciting imagery prevalent in nature; and I find that translating these images into a warm, more three-dimensional medium of fabrics is a particularly thrilling challenge."
“I hand-dye and paint the fabrics I use in my work. The dye process is an iteration of a Japanese technique known as Arashi Shibori, a dye-resist method. Mixing my own dye colors not only produces a range of shades and hues that are more personal to me, but also adds an element of surprise. Often the altered fabric dictates the direction I take, regardless of earlier preconceptions of a piece. In my texture-painted silks, the acrylic paint on the silk provides dimension which gives the distinct impression of earth, water and sky.”
AS A CREATOR OF ORIGINAL ART, BELINDA TRANSFORMS FABRICS, DYES, PAINTS AND THREADS INTO FINE ART. HER WORK IS SHOWN IN SOLO EXHIBITIONS, JURIED EXHIBITIONS, GALLERIES AND IS HELD IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. WINDOWS ON WOODSTOCK STUDIO HAS BEEN FEATURED IN STUDIOS MAGAZINE, and her images have been used in books REFERENCING FIBER ART.
BELINDA HOLDS A BA IN LITERATURE AND ART HISTORY AND AN MBA IN INTERNATIONAL FINANCE. SHE IS A MEMBER OF FIBERVISION, A FIBER ARTISTS' GROUP IN SANTA BARBARA, CA; QUILTS ON THE WALL, A FIBER ARTISTS' GROUP IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA; STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES and the SURFACE DESIGN ASSOCIATION. SHE IS INCLUDED IN THE SANTA BARBARA ARTISTS’ DIRECTORY.
BELINDA SHARES A STUDIO BUILDING WITH HER HUSBAND, A MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER. TOGETHER THEY RENOVATED A LARGE BARN AND DIVIDED IT TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH A TEXTILE ART AND RECORDING STUDIO. THEIR CHOCOLATE LABRADOR RETRIEVER, JONI MITCHELL HART, WELCOMES STUDIO GUESTS.
