Smile Politely

My favorite C-U Craft League Artist

Last weekend I went to the Craft League of Champaign-Urbana’s annual craft fair. The fair has been running for over 20 years and was hosted in the Urbana Civic Center. All of the crafts were tastefully displayed and appeared to be of high quality, unique in their own right and priced within reason. There was one crafter, though, that really stood out in my eyes: Deborah Fell.

I am hoping to have Fell on for a full Smile Politey WorkSpace interview, but in the meantime, here is the gist of her art. She finds inspiring objects or scenes in the world and transfers them onto a quilt using film, paint, photoshop, stitching or a combination of all of the above. I was most impressed by how many different tools of the trade she uses to make beautiful pieces of art that all carry an easily recognizable and unique style.

Fell’s process was amazing and her art was eye catching. But another great aspect of her art? The many different price points at which you could purchase a piece. Yes, she had large quilts hanging on the wall for hundreds of dollars. But she also had small pieces of quilt, nicely matted and packaged, for around $30. She also had socks, bags, t-shirts and larger framable pieces of quilt. All at different price points. Bravo.

Look for more about Fell on Smile Politely in the coming weeks and check her out online by visiting her website, DeborahFell.com, or emailing her at [email protected].

See more from the event in the gallery below.

[gallery craft_league_of_cu_2016_craft_fair]

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