“Payton’s work has a dynamic, energetic quality which evokes the liveliness of music. One would not be at all surprised if the pieces of fabric broke through the frame and began dancing down the wall.”
— Andrea Gates, Crossings at Carnegie
About Bob Payton
I'm a visual artist who creates joyful and vibrant Fabric Collages inspired by music and the awesomeness and cosmic energy of nature!
I'm also a folk musician who plays the Celtic harp, and a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist who’s worked with older adults. Past music recordings include sixteen Talking About Aging Songs with questions for self-reflection and discussion.
In 2023 I started the the Tiny Wildlife Observation Project to invite people to participate in citizen science, to observe beneficial pollinator insects and other small creatures, and upload their observations to iNaturalist.
About the Collages
My abstract fabric collages are a great way to enliven homes, creative work spaces and even children’s rooms. Creating them is an intuitive, improvisational and playful process. I choose non-descriptive titles so viewers of all ages are free to explore their own creative interpretations. They often elicit wide-ranging responses and conversation.
Assembling each one melds improvisation and detail work. Starting with a cloth base pinned to an easel, I cut and affix various fabric pieces, using double stick fusible web, building up shapes, lines and layers of color while keeping an eye on balance and motion. At a certain point, I design a border which frames the interior design.
Finally, I lay a middle layer of cotton batting on top of a back layer of cloth. All three layers are pinned together, the border is attached and the inner design is stitched (quilted) to create depth and texture which makes a finished piece.
Hanging and Care
Each collage has a sleeve sewn on the back, enclosing a wooden stick with a screw eye on each end for hanging. Use monofilament fishing line, twine, picture hooks or tiny nails. For public spaces, they have been framed by professional framers.
For cleaning lightly vacuum or shake. Gently hand wash in cold water. Air dry. Wrinkles can be spritzed with cold water. Avoid rolling up to ship or store but keep flat. Avoid hanging in direct sunlight as colors will fade, which is also a normal weathering process that adds character.
Pedal Pusher Gallery
This is a unique bicycle-powered way to display art. Inside is a portable easel and fabric. You may see me at Minnehaha Falls and other parks creating plein-air fabric collages. Thanks to my wife Denise for designing and building the bike gallery. View Pedal Pusher Gallery Collages.
