Carolyn Skei describes herself as a dilletante — “a dabbler” in art, whose work ranges from digital photographs to mixed media. The work includes collages in fabric or paper, as well as structures like handbound books. The images in her art are sometimes figurative and often very colorful. Improvisation is central to her approach, whatever the medium. In 2000 she retired as a university editor and returned to her native Texas, where she has recently won awards from the jurors of the Dallas Quilt Celebration and the Visual Arts Society of Texas.
Carolyn spent 30 years of her adult life in California. For many of those years she pursued her avocation in art by taking workshops “in everything from batik to Polaroid transfers.” Since 2000 she has had intensive fiber arts workshops with Sue Benner and Jan Myers-Newbury and intensive polymer clay workshops with artists like Dayle Doroshow and Donna Kato. Since retiring from California State University, Fresno, she has also studied bookbinding with artists like David Lawrence, Daniel Kelm and Tim Ely.
In recent years she has taught for the Dallas Craft Guild, Dallas Area Fiber Artists, North Texas Polymer Clay Guild, Plano Stamp Asylum, Brazosport Art League and others. She is currently on the board of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists and has served the North Texas Polymer Clay Guild in many roles. An avid gardener, she is the editor of Neil Sperry’s GARDENS magazine and e-gardens newsletter, as well as a certified Texas Master Gardener and a member of the board of Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney.
One of her Coptic-bound books was juried into Lark Books’ 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form.
Carolyn spent 30 years of her adult life in California. For many of those years she pursued her avocation in art by taking workshops “in everything from batik to Polaroid transfers.” Since 2000 she has had intensive fiber arts workshops with Sue Benner and Jan Myers-Newbury and intensive polymer clay workshops with artists like Dayle Doroshow and Donna Kato. Since retiring from California State University, Fresno, she has also studied bookbinding with artists like David Lawrence, Daniel Kelm and Tim Ely.
In recent years she has taught for the Dallas Craft Guild, Dallas Area Fiber Artists, North Texas Polymer Clay Guild, Plano Stamp Asylum, Brazosport Art League and others. She is currently on the board of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists and has served the North Texas Polymer Clay Guild in many roles. An avid gardener, she is the editor of Neil Sperry’s GARDENS magazine and e-gardens newsletter, as well as a certified Texas Master Gardener and a member of the board of Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney.
One of her Coptic-bound books was juried into Lark Books’ 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form.
