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Mary Lou Hightower received her
Doctor of Education Degree from University of South Carolina in
Curriculum and Instruction with major emphasis in Art. She has
recently retired from Spartanburg School District Six system
where she served as the District Art Coordinator and visual arts
teacher for 30 years. She is the Assistant Professor of Art
Education at the University of South Carolina Upstate in the
Department of Fine Arts and Communication Studies teaching
courses in Southern Folk Art History, Fundamentals of 2D Design,
Art Education Methods and Graduate classes in the Multiple
Intelligences and AP Studio Art. Her works have been in shows
throughout the southeast. She is a member of South Carolina
Watermedia Society and Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.
Artist’s Statement:
Watercolor
patchwork is a unique process where I have redesigned works
through manipulation of materials incorporating textural
materials to enhance the surface quality. In following this
traditional art, I have coined the term “watercolor patchwork”
to celebrate the legacy of the quilts and my love for watercolor
media.
The idea
of watercolor patchwork came from my interest in folk arts and
quilting process. I have always had a special fascination with
quilts because of my grandmother, Emma Swartz. She was an avid
quilter and sewed patches every day until her death at age 95.
Watercolor patchwork is a special tribute to her and my father,
Ralph Swartz.
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