Margaret Agner, a silk painter for 30 years, has lived in Athens area
for 26 years, teaches silk painting workshops, makes, exhibits and sells silk scarves, wearables, and wall hangings, and works in her home studio. She is expanding currently to more traditional painting using oils, pastels, gouache, etc.

Margaret paints with dye on silk to produce an array of fabric art that can be worn or hung on the wall. Most of her wall (or space) works are now shaped banners that have been set free of the traditional rectangle and assume the forms of the flowers, butterflies, or angels that are the subjects. She has developed a way of using materials that allows this freedom of shape. While the image on the fabric is painted with permanent and washable dyes, she uses paint to hold and seal the edges. Some of Margaret's wearable works (for example, the CLINGS line of silk crepe georgette scarves and capes) also uses this shaping technique.

The artist has been working with floral images for a long time. Nature themes using plants, leaves and flowers, lend themselves well to painting with dye and take full advantage of the qualities possible when liquid dye is applied to silk. Unpredictable things happen with the colors and shapes such as veins growing through the petals and leaves. The artist tries carefully to preserve the lucky accidents.

Another ongoing series of butterflies and moths lends itself well to the shaped banner format. These large symmetrical paintings can float and fly like the beautiful insects themselves. She tries to draw accurately to the species, but knows the painting technique itself tends to abstract the shapes and surprise the painter with its unpredictability.

Margaret Agner received her BFA in painting from LSU in Baton Rouge and also studied at Antioch College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and UGA. Her textile training has been through workshops at craft schools like Arrowmont. Some teachers were: Lenore Davis, Libby Platus, Ed Lambert, Mia Kodani, Stephen Blumrich, Yoshiko Wada, Shigeko Spear, Zoe Lancaster, Albertje Koopman. She is a member of the Surface Design Association, Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc. (Winston-Salem, N.C.), The Studio Group, Athens Fibercraft Guild, Athens Art Association, Plein Air Georgia, Madison Artists' Guild, and the Monroe Art Guild.

Collections

• Clarke County (Ga.) Court House
• Oconee County (Ga.) Primary School
• Carrier Transicold, Athens
• Venice, Fla., Presbyterian Church
• St. Gregory Episcopal Church, Athens
• First United Methodist, Gainesville, Ga.
• Tuckston United Methodist Church, Athens
• Winterville, Ga., United Methodist Church
• University United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, La.
• City Hall and Exxon, Baton Rouge
• City of Charleston, S.C.
• Crosby Gardens, Toledo, Ohio
• Ramsey Center, UGA
• Arbor Terrace, Athens

Solo Exhibitions

• St. Gregory Episcopal, Athens
• Emanuel Arts Center, Swainsboro, Ga.
• Aurum Studios, Athens
• Altama Gallery, Vidalia, Ga.
• Tate Student Center, UGA
• Unitarian Church, Athens
• State Botanical Garden, UGA
• Interchurch Center, NYC
• Georgia Center for Continuing Education (through Oct. 7, 2005)
• Madison Interiors Marketplace (through Nov. 14, 2005)
  

Email: magner@charter.net
Web: margaretagnerstudio.com

©2008 The Studio Group