Art and Sport: the Art Quilts of Linda Robertus

If you are enjoying the Olympics, we think you will love the art quilts of Linda Robertus.  Linda was born in the Netherlands and now resides in Brisbane, Australia. Her screen-printed sports quilts began in 2009, when her oldest son joined a gymnastics club and started doing competitions. This inspired her to make MAGnificence, a gymnastics-themed quilt, which was selected for the 2011 Studio Quilt book edited by Sandra Sider. We think that these silhouettes on fabric portray the essence of the human figure in motion.

Balance, 11 x 11", by Linda Robertus

One of the first of Linda's gymnastics-related quilts, the composition and color of this piece really caught our eye. As an avid photographer, Linda's quilts are inspired by her own photographs, which she turns into handmade freezer paper stencils for screen printing.  An online screen printing class with Lyric Kinard has heavily influenced her work; see the spotlight on Linda Robertus written by Lyric Kinard.

Balance 3, 12 x 12", by Linda Robertus

Since 2009, Linda Robertus' work has been featured in galleries, shows and art quilting publications. "Balance 3" was included in the 2011 SAQA Benefit Auction. This quilt is among the sports-series quilts which you can see in Linda's online gallery. The gymnast is screen printed, and the shadows and the reverse images are stenciled with Paintsticks.

Speed 1, 8 x 12", by Linda Robertus

Speed 1, above, is Linda's first cycling quilt.  We love the dynamic motion of the cyclist which is enhanced by the radiating quilting lines on the bright yellow background. Speed 2, another cycling quilt by Linda Robertus, is now a part of SAQA's traveling trunk show called This is a Quilt!  Speed 2 also was selected to become part of the permanent collection at the Michigan State University Museum.

Other sources of inspiration for Linda's work are nature, people and optical illusions. Some of her most popular designs have been made into thermofax screens which she uses to print on canvas, art cards and ACEOs; we love these small pieces, which you can find in Linda Robertus' Etsy shop, Blue Jacaranda. In addition, Linda designs some wonderful fabrics which you can find on Spoonflower.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Linda Robertus.