Hello and welcome! I’m Judy Gates.

I create textile collages in which individually cut pieces of fabric are layered, resulting in textured images. I’m inspired by the simplicity and splendor of Maine’s landscapes and its flora and fauna.

From a distance, my collages read as paintings or drawings. On closer inspection, the texture and tactile quality created by the combination of colors, patterns, and stitching become more apparent.

For fabrics, I’m particularly fond of batiks because of the method of creating the textiles results in fabrics that are dyed all the way through and have the variability of watercolor. Overlaying the collage with tulle and freehand stitching through multiple layers creates cohesion between individually cut and placed snips of fabric.

While I was raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania, I’ve spent most of my adult life in my adopted home of Maine. In my free time, I love spending time with my two adult sons, friends, and my creative community, taking in the beauty Maine has to offer, knitting, sewing, baking, and keeping company with my spunky rescue greyhound, Olive.

I’m so glad you’re here!