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DAVIDSVILLE, Pa. – With a keen eye for detail, this self-taught artist is showcasing her quilt portraits and designs in her first exhibition.
Johnstown native Anne Pernell’s quilt art show is on display through Nov. 24 in the Cambridge building at Laurel View Village, 2000 Cambridge Drive, Davidsville.
It wasn’t until Pernell retired in 2016 as a project manager for Turner Construction Co. that her artistry developed.
“As most retirees do, you start to think about things to do, and I thought I’d start painting,” the Greensburg resident said. “I wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t great.
“I had a sewing machine from way back when that I hadn’t really touched in 35 years, and my daughter challenged me to make an art quilt. I thought I could do it, and I enjoyed it so much.”
Simple geometric designs
Pernell said she started out with simple geometric designs. As she honed her skills, she started to create pet and people portraits, along with landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes.
She said she calls her pieces quilts because they have the structure of quilts, with a battening material between two pieces of fabric to give it depth.
“I take a photograph and size that to what I want and start to cut pieces of fabric to fit the photograph, and then I piece them together like a puzzle,” Pernell said. “I use my sewing machine to attach those pieces or different stitching to create shadows and shades to augment the colors.”
She said she has perfected her art over the years by watching YouTube tutorial videos and by joining a quilt art Facebook group.
“I’ve never really seen anything like it,” Pernell said. “I shared some of the stuff with the group and I could see that I was the only one doing it the way I do it, but I’ve gotten quite a bit of good feedback.”
She said she predominantly works from photographs.
“I’m not good at coming up with designs off the top of my head,” Pernell said. “I start with the photograph and work from there, and I like photographs that have a lot of different contrasts and shadows. Occasionally, I can work something into a quilt that’s not in the photo.”
Depending on size and complexity, she said, it takes her 30 to 40 hours to finish a piece.
“I really have to be in the mood to do it, but once I’m in that zone, I can go six or eight hours working at my sewing machine,” Pernell said.
The exhibition features 32 pieces of quilt art.
“I wanted to have a display showing my early work that are very geometric in design, and then I go into the pet portraits and people portraits,” Pernell said.
“Most of the quilts do have a predominance of denim in them, but a few I did with different colors of batique fabrics, so I wanted to present a well-rounded assortment.”
Different style
She said people who view her work will be exposed to a different style of art.
“You can see what’s possible, and it conjures up emotions, ideas and memories,” Pernell said.
Angela Rizzo, Laurel View Village’s director of independent living and community relations, said she is blown away by Pernell’s talent.
‘Amazing comments’
“I don’t think she realizes how talented she is,” she said. “We have heard nothing but positive and amazing comments from everyone that has seen her work. I constantly hear, ‘I can’t believe she did that with fabric and stitching. It looks like a photo.’ “
Rizzo said Pernell’s work was brought to her attention by Jenny Cruickshank, a retired employee and volunteer at Laurel View Village.
“Jenny and Anne knew each other from high school, and I immediately was fascinated by her work,” she said. “We are honored to host her first exhibition.”
Pernell is currently taking orders to do commissioned work. Prices vary depending on size and complexity.
Proceeds benefit scholarship
Proceeds are donated to the Rosalie Scholarship to support students from Latin America with the online course “Your Voice is Worthy,” which is led by Pernell’s daughter, Audrey Pernell.
For more information, contact Pernell by emailing her at [email protected] or on Facebook at M-Anne Quilt Art.
In addition, those who attend the show will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a custom piece by Pernell. The winner will be selected at the conclusion of the exhibition.
Proceeds will benefit the Rosalie Scholarship and art programs at Laurel View Village.
There is no admission fee to attend the exhibition.
Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
For more information, visit www.laurelviewvillage.com.
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