Quilling or paper filigree is an old art form that involves rolling and shaping thin strips of paper. The paper strips are rolled, looped, curled, twisted, and otherwise manipulated to create shapes. The shapes and coils are then glued together or onto paper and other things to make decorative designs, 3D figurines and other art work. While no one knows exactly when or where it originated, it was used by ancient Egyptians and was quite popular in France and Italy during the Renaissance.

I am a retired elementary school teacher with a love of the arts, and the natural world. Fitting that in 2020 I chose to retire in the Comox Valley. I started quilling in 2019 and have become captivated by the diversity and bold colour this visual art form offers. My inspiration began with the work of Yulia Brodskaya as in her book “Painting With Paper, Paper on the Edge”, 2019. While I may never match her talent I have used her inspiration to delve into quilling techniques past and present to create my own style.

While I enjoy quilling fun and playful items like seasonal jewelery, 3D ornaments and figurines, my main focus is to capture nature in paper, particularly the nature of Vancouver Island. My art pieces vary in size from 5x7 inches to 36x36 inches and can take from a week to several months to complete. Quilling is extremely detailed and time consuming. I hope you will enjoy the following gallery of some of my work.