Linda Nelson Bryan is a textile artist who maintains a studio in St. Paul. Since receiving her Masters Degree in Textile Design in 1974, from the University of Minnesota, she has established a body of work utilizing various fiber and surface design techniques.
She has exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally and won a number of awards. She also participated in a number of artist residencies, including over 20 years with COMPAS, 10 years of teaching classes at the University of Minnesota, and a summer spent at the Fiberarts Interchange, Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Canada.
My love of art and attention to craftsmanship began at an early age. My Uncle graduated from the Minneapolis Colllege of Art & Design, and frequently gave me his leftover art supplies. I had great enthusiasm for drawing, took classes at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and won a number of coloring contests as a young child. At times, my kindgarten teacher pushed me out the door to recess, when I really wanted to finish my drawing. Later I wove pot-holders, and sold them door-to-door to neighbors, so I could buy more weaving materials. With all this encouragement, and entrepreneurial spirit, what else could I become but an textile artist.
In the 1970s I began a studio career, creating architectural banners, hand-dyed silk scarves, trapunto quilts and soft sculpture, appliqued clothing, and many other related projects. When I made my first 'sewn drawing greeting card,' and found it framed, in the recipient's house, I knew I must do more.
My style springs from personal observations of man, animals, and nature, with a twist from what a professor called my "kicky sense of humor."
At a recent art fair, I spent a good deal of time talking with a boy, who was interested in how it was possilbe to 'draw' with a sewing machine. I gestured as to how my hands move the paper around, while the needle stays in one place. The next day, his parents came to my booth, saying their son came home, all exited, and told them they had to go see the woman who did Extreme Sewing!
I feel lucky that I have been able to make my living selling my art, following my own vision, and sharing it with others.
Linda