Artist: Christine Ricks

Title: Anointed

Medium: Fabric

Price: $1,500

Dimensions:  29 ½ x 36 ½ inches

Artist Bio: Christine Ricks has been a creative soul since she can remember taking a bucket of water outside to “paint” the driveway for hours. From her earliest experiences in life she has always envisioned shapes and colors coming together to create one-of-a-kind modern designs. Drawing inspiration from her heritage of mothers and grandmothers who sewed and made quilts as she grew up, her love for design and fabric has led her to develop a unique aesthetic in quiltmaking. Christine’s background in these areas has allowed her to seamlessly translate her skills to the art of quilting.  Christine grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a BFA in design from BYU and enjoys watercolor and acrylic mediums as well as quilting. She began her quilting journey about 15 years ago while working for a scrapbooking company here in Utah. She was invited by a friend to join a small quilting group and became obsessed with the craft. She has been making and designing quilts ever since. She is a member of the Modern Quilt Guild and has participated in many shows featuring her quilt designs. She also has a quilt featured in the book Modern Quilts for the 20th Century. She currently spends her days as the Creative Director for two quilting magazines. Block Magazine by Missouri Star Quilt Co. and a modern magazine called Curated Quilts. You’ll find her most days at the park with her pup Oakley or in her favorite spot in the mountains of Utah and Idaho. You can find her work online at www.christinericksdesign or hanging currently in Moonglass gallery.

Artist Statement: Anointed is one of three quilted pieces in a series inspired by the initiatory ceremony. It symbolizes to me the process women go through to understand the measure of their creation. When the theme for this exhibit was announced I was drawn to where those feelings of measuring and creation stem from for me. Some of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had with women have come from the intimate opportunities to participate in the temple initiatory ceremony. The blessings that are given in the initiatory have always felt empowering for me as a woman of faith. 

There is a lot of symbolism woven into Anointed. The different hues of the color red symbolize blood, sacrifice and the struggles that come into every aspect of the creation of another human. The two angled lines coming to a point above the circle to me represent strength, healing, home, family and support from other women. The angles of the quilting show the direction of where I find and receive inspiration. The twelve stripes down the center represent the access I have to power from above and how I internalize it to help support myself and others. The many french knots inside the circle represent all the many responsibilities, requirements, expectations and problems I think about, worry about and care for every day. 

As a single woman in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it has been at times hard for me to feel needed or included in our circle of women. I have experienced throughout my life that we don’t always get the things we plan and hope for in our younger life. There have been many women in my life that have been examples to me of strength, power, nurturing and support that have helped me feel my value in my faith and experience within the church's communities. Anointed illustrates the power that comes from joining together as women, to support, care for, bless, nurture, learn, mourn with, uplift and strengthen. It symbolizes the access to heavenly power, priesthood authority and nurturing guides to bless and help each other through the challenges and struggles of this life. It is through these acts that I can feel empowered and supported and measured—not in a worldly way but in becoming one with my infinite sources.

As women it’s not only the obvious womanly acts that call to us. We have access to understanding all the opportunities offered us. We, made in HER image, have been given all that SHE has. All that SHE has is what the Father has. We are capable of knowing and understanding these things as we measure ourselves to Them. Mother, daughter, sister, caretaker, friend, aunt, helpmeet etc... I know I have access to ALL of the opportunities that will help me to grow in my own unique way.