Donna Cherry Designs
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"I love helping others explore their own creativity!"

Award Winning Quilt Artist! 

Ruler of the Wilderness wall art
   I am a self taught artist and have studied and worked with many different mediums from pencil drawing to clay sculpture.  I have learned so much from each exploration, but none have influenced my creativity mor.  
e than working with textiles.  
    I began my art quilt journey by accident in 2005.  My husband is an avid outdoors man, and I decided to create a "Fabric Wall Hanging" for him to put in our den.  Little did I know, I was creating my very first art quilt.  
    I grew up with a very creative mother and two grandmothers who introduced me to traditional quilting at an early age.  I was born sewing and was always making something.   I never believed I would find my artistic voice so close to home. 
    I have always loved nature and the beauty of God's creation and find inspiration everywhere I look.  When I began, I didn't understand rotary cutter, nine patch, or applique. However, I have never been one to say, "I can't do that."  In fact, I am more of a, "How hard can it be?" kind of person.  When I realized there was more to the construction process than I thought, I took a power weekend with my mom and sister to learn hand applique, basic machine quilting, and beyond stippling.  My eyes were open to endless possibilities and soon my pocket book for a new quilting machine.    This is where the love story really begins.  I joined my local quilt guild to be with like minded individuals and was encouraged to enter my quilts into some quilt shows.   I was overwhelmed by the response I received.  My first competition was the 2006, Hoffman Challenge.  I entered "Moonlight Goddess" which won, best first time entry for the applique category.  I was very excited, so I decided to enter more competitions.  I received several awards and had the opportunity to have 2 of my quilts published in Lark Books, 500 Art Quits, as well as the  AQS 2010 Engagement Calendar.  
    With every quilt I made, I learned more and more.  I devoured art quilt books and magazines and decided that this was how I wanted to express my creativity.  I learned to refine my style and techniques and find my voice.  
    I also began teaching by accident.  My quilt guild wanted me to put together a little technique class.  I thought, "ok, three or four people at a local quilt shop...no big deal."  Right!  To my surprise, the guild rented a hall, catered lunch, and had fifteen people signed up.  Not one to back down from a challenge, I put together my first class.  I had so much fun and realized how much I love helping others on their own road to artistic discovery that I had to do it again.  From there I started teaching embellishment techniques at local quilt shops.  Each class was made up from a my original designs.  From my classes, I designed a colection of art quilt patterns.
   Because the success of my students feed my soul, I wanted to do more for them.  That is when I designed Art-Scapes, landscape patterns inspired by my students and my classes.   I listened to my students and understood the struggles and challenges involved in creating landscape quilts.   My goal with these patterns is to teach individuals to explore their own creativity with a little help from me.   That is what I love about my incredible journey of "Painting Life with Fabric!"

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