Elizabeth Rosenberg
 textile artist 
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Elizabeth
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Gallery of The Fat Ladies

The "Fat Ladies" series was inspired by rock carvings in Chad, Africa which depict  the lovely large ladies. Little is known about the ancient artists who carved the original figures, although a tribe now living in Central Africa practices a ritual which involves decorating their bodies with chalk in the same intricate geometric shapes that adorn the carved figures. Most interestingly, the largest of the ancient carved figures is nine feet tall! As an artist who loves to "draw" with thread and my sewing machine, I was fascinated by the richly detailed geometric designs on the large and lovely bodies, imagining how much fun it would be to translate the zigzags, spirals, and stripes with thread. I find the body shapes themselves to be irresistible, and so endearing that I've returned to them again and again. All of the art quilts on this page are available for purchase, except where noted. If there is a particular piece in which you are interested, please contact me for information.

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 The Pink Fat Ladies 
November, 2003
37" wide x 37" high
cotton hand-dyed fabric, cotton commercial fabric, ultra-suede trim, cotton batting
machine appliquéd, thread-painted w/ rayon thread and machine quilted

Dressed up in many shades of pink, these Fat Ladies have escaped the desert for a new home in the savannah, surrounded by lush growth below their delicate little feet. Yellow ultra-suede trim dances along the pink side borders.

To view  exhibition and publication history of The Pink Fat Ladies, click here.

To view a close up detail of The Pink Fat Ladies, click here..

The Fat Ladies
After Dark
October, 2003
18" wide x 24" high
cotton fabric, cotton batting
thread-painted w/rayon thread 
and machine quilted

This smaller piece is an experiment with using a light thread color on a dark background. The yellow thread glows beautifully on the dark, solid black background, making the ladies look almost electric!

* close-up detail not yet available. 

The Little Fat Lady
September, 2003
8-1/2" wide x 11" high
cotton fabric, cotton batting
machine appliquéd, thread-painted w/cotton thread and machine quilted

This tiny fat lady was my "September" entry for the 2003 journaling project, "A Page From My Book." 

To view all of the 2003 journal pages, click here.

* S O L D *

The Three Fat Ladies
July, 2003
36" wide x 36" high
cotton fabric, cotton batting
machine appliquéd, thread-painted w/cotton and rayon thread and machine quilted

This larger version of three of the ladies uses many different colors of thread to highlight the geometric designs in the bodies. Click on the link to the left to see a close-up!

In the collection of
Carolyn Lee Vehslage, Erial, NJ.

to view a larger image and the exhibition history of The Three Fat Ladies, click here.

to view a close-up detail of The Three Fat Ladies, click here -- please be patient while it loads! 

* S O L D *

The Fat Ladies
January, 2003
16" wide x 20" high
cotton fabric, cotton batting
thread-painted w/cotton thread and machine quilted w/rayon thread

The first in the Fat Ladies series, this small piece was deliberately done in low contrast to pay homage to the original rock carvings, which are barely visible in their desert home. 

The piece was chosen as the keynote image for the 2003 exhibit Wrapped in Cloth - The Human Figure in Textiles at the Tubac Center of the Arts in Tubac, Arizona. It appeared on the promotional postcard, poster and website.

In the collection of Mary Fitzgibbons, Rio Rico, AZ

to view a larger image and the exhibition history of The Fat Ladies, click here. 

Copyright © 2000-2005 Elizabeth Rosenberg. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced in any form without permission. 
Text and photographs intended for personal use and protected under federal copyright laws.