ANDREA SLAVIN
EMAIL: slavin678@icloud.com
BIO
I am from Los Angeles and fell in love with colors at a young age. Early color memories include a turquoise and hot pink kindergarten art project and colorful clothes from my childhood closet.
My Hungarian grandmother had been a dress designer in New York City, and I grew up surrounded by silk fabrics, partially made dresses, lace and other trims left over from her business. We used to go fabric shopping together and I kept some of the wonderful clothes she made me.
My mother also sewed beautifully, and she made me at least one Barbie doll outfit with very tiny buttons on it. Although Barbie bored me, I did like the clothes!
As a teenager in the 1960’s and 1970’s I embroidered, made beaded necklaces, patched my jeans, tried to draw and color like Peter Max, made a knitted rainbow belt, crocheted granny squares and taught myself macramé. I had a belt woven on an inkle loom and that inspired me to learn to weave.
In college I finally decided not to become a social worker. Instead, I chose art—immersing myself in textile classes at San Francisco State University and later at Fiberworks Center for the Textile Arts in Berkeley. It was fun experimenting with multiple on and off loom techniques, dyeing, spinning and card weaving.
I briefly taught textile classes in San Francisco, enjoyed doing so and am starting to teach again. Taking classes at the Craft Contemporary museum taught by multiple TALA members has been inspiring and has shown me new ways to be creative.