About: Artist Renee Harris

MFA/Painting, Printmaking, Art Academy of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 1979
Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC, 1974 - 1975

As long as she can remember, Renee loved to draw. Her father maintained an art studio, and she credits him as a major influence in her desire to be an artist. It was Renee's father who first taught her to draw and nurtured her creativity. With the encouragement from her parents, Renee was accepted to The Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. A year later, she transferred to the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where she sharpened her sense of color in painting and enjoyed the methodical nature of printmaking. She, also, took illustration classes where she combined disciplines and strengthened her skills in visual communication.

Renee discovered the ancient art of feltmaking after reading a book on the subject. She saw the art of others using felted wool and was inspired by the possibilities of "painting" with this medium. Dyed wool fibers, when agitated will bond to form a fabric. Within the textile itself, imagery can be created by manipulating the colored fibers before completion. Renee uses hand embroidery to embellish the rich surfaces of the felts which adds a sense of drawing to each piece.

The creative process took me from illustrating with conventional tools to discovering the infinite possibilities of drawing with fiber. Currently, my passion is working with hand embroidery, hand felted wool and stitching through images drawn on rag paper. Since I love the thought of how a story may touch me, working with these techniques allows me to touch the narrative images created out of each process. Instead of constructing with words, I build a story using visual components that encourage dimensional interpretation. Being able to share my thoughts through art enables me to achieve balance and clarity of intent within my story.

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