Background
Joan Hutten has a lifelong interest in the visual arts. She earned a BA in Art and Art History and an MA in Art History, and has worked as a corporate art consultant, museum docent and art teacher. Since joining the Studio Fiber Arts group at the Workhouse in 2008, she has focused on creating fiber art and wearables. Joan’s work can also be seen at the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA.
Influences
Joan is attracted to the fiber arts because of the limitless possibilities of the materials. She loves experimenting with color and texture, working with a variety of techniques, and manipulating materials in unconventional ways to create unique and visually beautiful art and wearable art.
Philosophy
As an artist, Joan finds satisfaction from making useful things. She is attracted to working with fiber because it is a “useful” medium. She is inspired by the tactile quality of fiber, its color and texture and the variety of ways it can be combined with and adapted to so many diverse techniques. While Joan also creates wall pieces, the main body of her work is wearable art inspired by the fibers themselves. Joan usually begins a project by selecting the materials and then letting them lead her to the design concept. Most of Joan’s work combines several fiber techniques.