Welcome, Renee Allen

I am a material girl…. My fascination with fabric began at the age of seven. Learning to sew is mandatory”, mom said since all of the women in the family sew. Reluctantly I took sewing lessons and learned to make doll clothes, then my clothes, draperies and home furnishings. I had become a material girl. While I have worked in several mediums paint, clay, and glass, my true joy is fiber. The tactile quality of fabric posses an amazing ability to create and transfer emotion. Textiles have an amazing ability to create and transfer emotion. The tactile quality and warmth of quilt provokes an involuntarily reaction to the composition in fabric. As a self-taught quilter, I love to use fabric make a statement and/ or amplify the voices of the soft spoken. While always an artist at heart, I studied Business Administration/ Marketing. I received a B.S. from Hampton University in 1980 and an M.B.A. from Pennsylvainia State University. It was not until 1990 that I began to share my creative talents with others outside of my family. Artistically I was influenced by the art of the late Varnette P.Honeywood. Her paintings depicted the landscapes of my life. Inner city, family oriented, all full of emotion and relationships. That is the aspiration of my quilts. To tell a story under a microscope. Create a snapshot of life, and our relationships on which we can examine and savor. I am currently actively involved in teaching our youth the joy of creating quilts as well as clothing. There is a certain piece to be found when creating beauty with your I enjoy making meaning art for public display or private commissions. I have had opportunity to participate in numerous national exhibits and publications.