Cooper’s Landing

Artist:

Deb Roberts

Year:

2014

Materials:

fiber

Poster size:

30″ x 24″

About the artist

I grew up in Chillicothe, a small rural town in northwest Missouri. During my twenties and thirties, I studied art at Central College in Pella, Iowa, Missouri Western College in St. Joseph, Missouri and the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1980 to 1992, I worked as a graphic designer and a product photographer for a small commercial print shop. My husband, Mike and I moved to Columbia in 2001.

Columbia’s artist-friendly community has provided many opportunities for me over the years. In 2003, my image was chosen for one of Les Bourgeois wine labels.  My photographs have placed several times in the Visions exhibit. Many of my photographs  decorate the walls of the Cherry Street Wine Cellar and Bistro.  I have shown my work at PS Gallery, Teller’s, Main Squeeze and the Columbia Art League. I struggle to balance a full-time job with artwork.  With retirement just around the corner I look forward to devoting most of my time to  art.

My story quilts are colorful, playful fiber collages composed of fabric scraps, scanned photos printed on fabric, beads, buttons and found objects. Using both machine and hand stitching in a variety of threads my work is quilted, embroidered and embellished. Bluestem is currently carrying my story quilts.

About the art

“There is a place in Boone County along the Missouri River known as Cooper’s Landing.  It is a boat dock and store, marina, campground, restaurant and stage. My husband and I find ourselves at Cooper’s Landing often to walk, hear music, eat a meal, listen to the sounds of the Missouri River or just hang out and watch the sun set. 

 Sycamore trees border the quilt…the bark resembles jig saw puzzle pieces.  The two figures in the foreground are wood cutouts of soldiers.  The soldiers were at one time located near the MKT Trail in back of Cooper’s Landing.  The soldiers are no longer at Cooper’s Landing…perhaps weathered and discarded.  The black and white concrete pig in the lower right hand corner is a familiar sight at the landing.   

 The stage is occupied by a former Columbia musician, Hillary Scott.  She played there in the summer of 2013.  The guitarist is Mike Roberts.  To the right of the door is the wood carved bird.  I don’t know anything about the sculpture other than it is always on stage.

 Behind the building and to the right of the quilt is a biker.  Bikers are a familiar sight along this stretch of the trail. 

 Generally my quilts are heavily beaded.  This one I wanted to keep simple with solid color pieces of fabric and lots of hand quilting.” – Deb Roberts