Jean Smith “Bee Happy”

Jean Smith is a Berkeley native and has been quilting for close to 15 years. Heavily influenced by the Amish, Welsh and Mennonite quilting aesthetic, she enjoys pushing a block's boundaries simply through the use of color placement. "Bee Happy" is a prime example of how color influences what the viewer sees as the blocks are all the same pattern.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Karin Lusnak worked as a Research Associate in genetics and molecular biology laboratories at the University of California in Berkeley from 1971 until 1998. She has pursued her interest in various textile art forms since 1976 when she enrolled at Pacific Basin School of Textile Arts. In 1994 she received her MFA in textiles from California College of Arts and Crafts, now CCA. She is one of fifty invited artists whose quilt appears in Women of Taste: A Collaboration Celebrating Quilt Artists and Chefs / in association with Girls Incorporated. She is one of ten artists appearing in Charlotte Grossman's documentary film, "Woman's Work: Making Quilts: Creating Art".

The quilt was designed, pieced and quilted by Karin.