Weavings and Mixed Media visual art work of
William Keith and Lea Keith
Lea Keith
[nee: Helena P. Dalrymple]
Phone: 830 688-9836
Ruidoso, New Mexico
Professional info
I am a self-taught artist who has had several careers, but my personal interests have always included participation in the arts. In the mid-eighties I met a professional artist who became my collaborative partner and husband. Together we published an art journal in Houston, called In Art which circulated regionally on a quarterly basis from 1984 to 1988. In 2013, I completed a Masters of Humanities degree with a focus of study on the visual arts.
Education
2013: Masters of Humanities --visual art history/appreciation. California State University, Dominguez Hills. ["External" --Remote/Correspondence/On-line modes of instruction.]
1998: Legal Nurse Consultant Certification
1979: Bachelors of Science, Nursing. Medical College of Georgia [now Augusta University]
Work experience
Ongoing: Self taught fiber artist.
The media in which I usually work is fiber. From 1983 to 2001, I developed and worked with a textile surface design process I called Distressed Cloth. This process involved dying manufactured fabric, sewing it into layers, and than unraveling/unweaving the top layer [usually a coarse/loosely woven fabric such as burlap]. This created a highly textured surface. For the most part my subject matter was non-Representational, with a few pieces replicating the imagery of flags and family crests/coats of arms.
Since 2001, I have focused on small vessels. Initially working in wood to create small boxes, my focus has again shifted, and I now create small mixed media baskets, which has allowed me to return to my first-love "roots" in fiber media, such as twine, string, yarn, raffia [dried palm strands] and rush [tightly twisted paper].
2014 - Spring 2021: Adjunct Instructor Northwest Vista College, San Antonio Texas
2021 [Spring] - Present: Adjunct Lecturer for Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio Texas
1998-2001: Independent Certified Legal Nurse Consultant
Was contracted by attorneys to apply my nursing education and experience to the review and analysis of medical records of individuals involved in legal actions related to medical treatment, such as medical malpractice or personal/job related injuries,
1979-1998: Registered Nurse
Employed as a nurse by hospitals, initially in Georgia, and then from 1983-1998 in Texas. Provided direct patient care to patients of all ages. For all but two and a half years, my chosen area of service was the Emergency Department.