Artist's Statement: To see Marilyn Belford's quilts is to be impressed by her deep artistic background. Her use of colors and shapes is amazing in its evocative effect. The finished pieces exude her boldness in design and vision. "I have always had a penchant for the dramatic," Marilyn admits. "Plays such as Medea, music by Beethoven, and paintings like Guernica by Picasso and German expressionism have always been my preferences. Strong colors like reds and yellows make me tingle."

In her quilting Marilyn draws on both her artistic training in NYC and her rich Jewish heritage to create her colorful work. "My love of fabric is an extension of my love of color, texture, and shapes," she says. "Fabric in itself is a tool, just like paint is a tool. I use whatever tool is necessary to reproduce the vision inside of me. I enjoy searching out fabric all over the vicinity that will make the appropriate statement for me. I spend delightful hours looking for "angry" fabrics, or "biblical" colors, or for fabrics that will look like an unshaven face." This love and care for her work resonates with those who see the quilts, praise and prizes coming wherever the sewing is shown.

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