Traffic Jams . . . Gridlock . . . Cityscape reflections burned onto nearby windows on a scorching summer day.

I recently met the woman who can turn these stressful events into pure bliss, with her artistic interpretation of the everyday mundane.

As fellow member of the Surface Design Association, I’m always fascinated by the techniques and tools behind an intriguing artwork, and was not disappointed.  Karen Goetzinger generously shared her methods of attaching her collages to felt, and mounting the felt to solid backing (such as acrylic on stretched canvas, or cradled wood panels) with archival bookbinder’s adhesive.  Though her work is textile based and has some traditional hand stitching, if only blanket stitching around the edges, other mediums in her work include printing and even touches of encaustic.  It’s always a delight to meet an artist who is totally comfortable talking about their work and explaining their process. Though Karen’s mixed media textile constructions are featured at the Edgewater Gallery through June 30, you can also visit her online to learn more about her work and her process.

Added bonus:  if you loved “tangerine tango” before Panetone named it the 2012 color of the year, you won’t be disappointed by her color sense!