Artist Statement
Hilary Scanlon was born and educated in England. She studied in London and became a Froebel teacher specializing in Art. Hilary immigrated to Canada with her husband Patrick, who was doing post-graduate work. Four children and part-time teaching kept Hilary busy, but she continued taking courses to enrich her art work. Hilary was co-ordinator for the Fibreworks Kingston Weekend Workshops for more than thirty years, receiving two Canada Council Grants in that time.
A sabbatical year in England was an opportunity to take City & Guilds Part 1 in Creative Embroidery. Part two was taken as a 'Distance Learning Student with opus School of Textile Arts with Julia Caprara. Hilary taught at St. Lawrence College for more than twenty five years. She started the Kingston Fibre Artists' group in 1997. The KFA honoured her in 2007 by giving a Hilary Scanlon Award as an annual prize for the Kingston Arts Council Art Show.
Quilting became a new interest in the nineties. While admiring the fine work and historical background of traditional quilts, Hilary found she was more interested in designing her own quilts. She has studied with many prestigious instructors including Nancy Crow, Ruth McDowell, Martha Cole, Judy Martin and Dorothy Caldwell - enriching her fibre art vocabulary to find her own voice. Hilary has a great interest in historical/ethnic sources. Her detailed sketches from museums in many parts of the world are the source of much inspiration for a new body of work.
Hilary has exhibited regularly in group shows, both juried and invitational exhibitions, including Opus in London, U.K. and Quilts=Art=Quilts in USA, as well as in Canada