The Creativity Project Week #38: Timna Tarr

Timna Tarr comes from a long line of quilters but did not begin quilting until after studying art history in college. She bought her first longarm in 2001 and began quilting clients’ quilts shortly thereafter. Since then she has custom designed and quilted thousands of quilts. Timna’s own nationally award-winning quilts are in private and corporate collections and have been seen in numerous exhibits, quilting magazines, and books. Her work uses color and composition in a unique and playful way. Each block in a quilt is made as its own element, independent of the other blocks. After all of the blocks are constructed, she arranges the small compositions to play off each other and to work together to create a larger whole. The resulting quilts are contemporary works, set in this time and place, which reference the rich tradition of quilt making. Timna is an in-demand speaker and teacher throughout the northeastern United States. She is a member of her local guilds in Massachusetts, Hands Across the Valley Quilters Guild and the Northampton Modern Quilt Guild. Welcome, Timna!

How would you describe your quilting style/aesthetic?

Timna: I consider myself a traditional quilter with modern tendencies.

How would you describe the creative environment in your home as a child?

Timna: Although I didn’t think it was a creative environment at the time, there was always someone making something. My mom is a quilter, but she always also had other hand-crafts in the works. I remember when she learned to macramé, tat, and cast metals for jewelry. My dad took photos and had a make-shift dark room set up in a bathroom. By age 6 or 7, probably to keep me busy, my mom had me sewing, cross-stitching, embroidering, and rug hooking. While other kids went to amusement parks or the beach on vacation, my family – much to my annoyance – went to museums.

What artists and makers do you most admire or have an influence on your work?

Timna: Oh, there are so many. I love antique quilts made by unknown women. I have a small collection of old quilt tops. The more homely the top is, the more it speaks to me.

As for non-quilt artists, recently I have been spending a lot of time looking at the work of Chuck Close, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Mark Rothko.

I say this in the most loving and respectful way possible, but all of the “old lady” quilters in my life are so inspirational. They show me how to keep working, learning, and to have fun with your friends well into your 80s.

Do you consider yourself a “quilter”, an artist, or some combination of both?

Timna: Usually I say “quilter” as I want to honor the tradition of the medium. Just within the last few years have I started to use the word artist to describe myself. For many years, I was a longarmer who worked for other quilters. Once I stopped working “for hire”, I felt more like an artist.

How would you define “making with intention”?

Timna: For me, it’s about setting aside time to focus on the quilt. Creating a quilt for a special event allows me to think about the person who will receive the quilt, working on a piece for a show requires me to focus on the theme. The quilts that I make without a specific intention are never my favorite quilts because they don’t have any emotional resonance for me.

Do you think that having a craft makes us more compassionate? If so, then how?

Timna: Honestly, no. But, I do think that having a community makes us more compassionate. Quilters are unbelievably giving. If you need a quilt or blocks for an event, quilters will jump in to contribute. Quilters make quilts for newborns, newlyweds, recent high school graduates, and veterans for no other reason than they just want to give of themselves.

How does creating feed your soul/spiritual purpose?

Timna: Creating is meditative for me. Some people pray, some run, I make. When I haven’t been working for a few days, my husband will gently say, “Are you going to go to the studio today?”.  I know it’s to save himself from my crankiness, but he also knows I will be a happier person after I work for a few hours.

Are there any rituals that you perform to prepare/ground yourself in your work?

Timna: When I walk into my studio, I make sure that I have some coffee or tea nearby and I put on my noise cancelling headphones. Once the headphones are on I tune out the rest of the world. That is the cue for me that I am focused on work. I listen to lots of podcasts and books while I quilt.

What is the support system you have in place for creating your work?

Timna: My support system is amazing and I am extremely privileged in so many ways. My mom lent me money to buy my first longarm machine. My parents lent me a room in their house to run my longarming business out of when I first got started. My spouse has a steady 8-5 job which allows my income to fluctuate from month-to-month as needed. I have friends both in and out of the quilting world who critique my work, and are not afraid to let me know when I need to get over myself.

How do you deal with comparison to / envy of others? Can you describe a time when you used comparison/envy/admiration to push yourself in your own work and self-discovery?

Timna: I am envious of artists who make work with strong political and social statements. I wish my work had that kind of impact on the world, but my rational brain knows that is not who I am. I really just want to make people laugh and smile when they see my quilts. Every so often I have to re-learn that I am ok with that.

What was the most challenging thing you ever made?

Timna: This past weekend I took a three-day glass marble making class. I don’t know if marbles were the most challenging thing I ever made, but it was good reminder of how hard it is to be a beginner.

What does it mean to you to work in a traditionally domestic medium that historically has been regarded as predominately female (aka “women’s work”)?

Timna: I am proud to be part of the tradition. It doesn’t get the respect it deserves – but women’s work is human work.

How do you see your current work in the context of quilting history?

Timna: I studied art history in college. One thing that I learned is that for most of Western art history, artists built on the aesthetics and skills of the generations before them. I have no illusions that my work is anything more or less than one of the stepping stones moving quilting forward for the next generation of quilters – and I can’t wait to see where they take it.

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Thank you, Timna!  Your voice and unique style shines through in all of your work! For more about Timna, visit her website, or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook. 

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