Layers Upon Layers: Mixed Media Art

Artist Profile: Pallas Vititoe

by Cyndi on September 4th, 2008

Little Cowboy

Artist: Pallas Vititoe
Business name: Threads In Time by Pallas
Location: Hemet, CA and Rineyville, KY

Website & Blog:
Threads in Time
Threads in Time blog

Shy Girl

Pallas, how do you describe your work?
I describe my work as vintage fabric and mixed media art quilt collage. I love to work with old fabrics, lace, buttons, sewing notions, ephemera and photographs. I chose to name my creations Threads In Time by Pallas, not only to reflect the physical threads of the old textiles, but also to reflect the threads in time each piece travels in an imaginary journey. I added my name, Pallas, to personalize each piece that I create.

What is your creative process like?
My creative process usually begins with an old photograph or an interesting piece of fabric. Sometimes the photograph is of a relative or other known person, but quite often it will be a photograph of a total stranger that I have ‘adopted’ from an antique store. I wonder why these photographs aren’t with their families any longer, and I bring them home because I think they have many stories to tell. Sometimes I like to tell ‘old’ stories with new photographs of old places, as in the Hemet Stock Farm series or the Kentucky series that I am working on. I print each photograph onto cotton fabric, and then choose vintage fabrics or other textiles and various embellishments to compliment each photograph. I like to lay the elements out in a trial collage before cutting anything. If I want to work on several collages at one time, I snap a digital picture of each trial collage so that when I go back to it I can easily begin where I left off. I often work in silence or with background music, and I always like to work alone without conversation. I find that I usually work in spurts that last a few hours to a couple of days in succession.

Hemet Stock Farm

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
My mother was a good seamstress and taught me to sew when I was young. She taught me not only how to pick out the patterns, fabrics and notions, but also how to prepare and cut the fabric, and then fit and sew the garment. I sewed my own clothes for years, but realized that what I liked the best about the whole process is the fabric itself. My mother grew up during the depression and didn’t like to throw anything away. When a garment was no longer wearable, the buttons and zippers were removed and saved to be used again, the fabric from a dress could become an apron or part of a new quilt. I like this concept and can’t resist reusing cast offs. I don’t see flaws when looking at frayed fabric and lace, but the beauty of a previous life they have had. Creating vintage fabric collage lets me ‘color outside the lines’ because nothing needs to be exact.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
My creative tools are my sewing machine, computer, scanner/printer and digital camera. I’m not sure that I could choose just one. I love to use photographs in each collage and print them onto fabric, and my sewing machine is used in nearly every collage.

Lucky Day Hat Lady

What inspires you to create?
I’m inspired by the old fabrics and photographs I have added to my ’stash’. I’m also inspired by the blogs of other fabric collage artists, as well as magazine articles featuring collage art.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Whenever I haven’t taken the time to work on a project in a while, I sort through my fabrics, buttons or photographs and an idea will develop.

Boy in Uniform

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I like to keep a balance in life by spending time with family and friends, spending time outdoors with biking, walking or gardening, and all the other normal day to day activities necessary in life. I also enjoy spending time on my computer, and I belong to online art groups where we share artwork tips, swaps and challenges.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
I would have to say that my favorite ‘comfort food’ is Starbucks coffee with cream, and I also enjoy iced coffee in the hot summer months.

Forties Woman

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POSTED IN: Art Quilts, Artist Profiles, Collage, Fabric & Fiber, Mixed Media, Recycled Art