Alaska's natural beauty has inspired my art quilts, challenging me to capture the essence of a subject and the landscape. Each quilt becomes an interpretation of the mood, light and color.

I greatly enjoy amassing fabrics from different eras and a variety of sources and love the excitement I feel before of a mountain of fabrics that will become a quilt. Fabric gives a tactile pleasure that you don't find with paint. The possibilities and limitations of the piecing process are integral parts of the design.

The process begins with a photograph, idea or piece of fabric that catches my eye. I transform that into a full size drawing, each line representing a seam line between two pieces of cloth. The cloth pieces are joined by machine to form a pieced top. Finally, I choose the pattern of my quilting stitches to complement the scene, machine quilting that to the pieced surface. This completes the interpretation, transforming it into a low relief and adding an extra dimension of texture.

Linda Beach lives in Chugiak, Alaska. A self-taught quilter, she started with traditional patterns and then evolved into creating her own designs. Linda is a Professional Artist member of Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA) and has served as Artist-in Residence at both Denali and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Her quilts can be found in collections across the country and have been the recipients of several awards.

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