Artist's Statement

First, my work is about color and texture - relationships, contrasts, and blends. The images I use seem to go along for the ride. For me, art and being creative is an escape and a special place I can be. I want to create images and objects that are special to me. If it makes the viewer smile — all the better.

I use images that I see on vacations or when I take time out of my "real" world. These are the times I really look and think about what I am seeing. The land and the world around us is not appreciated enough, and most don't take the time to look and see the beauty around us all. I have a sense of urgency to record what is beautiful because we are living in a time that we cannot take it all for granted.

To convey what I see takes more than one medium or technique. I like to combine whatever technique it requires to tell the complete story. I love the feel of paper pulp and making paper; enjoy the feel of fiber in my hands as I dye, prepare, and spin the yarns I use. Beads and embroidery provide the details each piece demands. I work small because my processes are slow and what I have to say is personal. I want a viewer to be close to really see what I have to say.

Deb Menz is the author of Color in Spinning and Color Works, both published by Interweave Press and distributed around the world. She co-authored, with Sara Lamb, Color By Number Basic Book and Color by Number Book 2 (dye notebooks available now). She has made two videos to coordinate with Color in Spinning. Her work has appeared in Beaded Embellishments, and is in the Surface Design Journals' book of members work . Her work has been exhibited aross the country; most recently in a solo show at the Fine Line Creative Art Center, St. Charles, IL, in the spring of 2010. Deb has taught workshops and lectured on color theory, dyeing, and creating unique yarns around the country for over 20 years. She teaches workshops and shows her work out of her studio in Middleton, Wisconsin.