An Interview with Alma Stoller

I'm so pleased to have Alma Stoller is with us today. I was introduced to Alma's work via her fabric beads (drool)

and then her wonderful Fabric Arts Zine. Enjoy getting to know Alma.


Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in New York City and I have two children, Rose and Julian.
I studied music (piano) in college, but now I work as an artist and designer.
I come from a long line of needle artists...my mother and all her sisters are self-taught in either sewing, crochet, tailoring and millinery work. As a little girl, I was the recipient of all their scraps.
I've always been an artist of some sort... whether I was playing a Chopin prelude or playing with fabrics and paints.
I played the violin for about a year and I truly loved it. I hope to someday get back to it.

What best describes the work you do?

That is a tough questions.... one day I think I know the answer to that, and the next day I surprise myself with a new way of working and styling. It depends on what I am describing because my collages look a certain way. The hand I use with them is slightly different from the hand I use with my fabric art pieces....similar, but different.

I also design textile ornaments in the form of fabric beads and sculptural oddities... and the mindset involved in that is also a little different.
But I think what fuses all these pieces together, what I think best describes them is an inventive approach.
I hope that is how it is perceived.

How did your style evolve?

I really don't know.....I try to focus on what makes sense to me. What I feel comfortable with doing.
For example, my portrait collages all have a very noticeable feature, the nose/eye brow combination.
I don't know how it started, but I love it. It feels right to me. It is a style that is odd, twisted, distinct and different enough and yet
I pull it back to some degree of normalcy, familiarity and sweetness. I like the balance of the two in one piece. 

Who is your favourite artist right now?


That changes year to year, but right now, I am really loving the work of
Hundertwasser and Rauschenberg. I also love the work of Teesha Moore....but then again who doesn’t. Whether she knows it or not, she has greatly changed the face of art. Her collages are like an art period all on its own.

Do you have a favourite art period? 

It completely depends on the piece. I love going to The Met and The MOMA, where I soak in all the art. I truly love it all....from Medieval, Impressionistic and Contemporary Art.

Tell us about The Glossy Project?

The Glossy Project is a year long project I started. I would get a lot of e-mails from other artists and collectors of my work, asking ... how I create my fabric art pieces. So I decided to turn it into a project that anyone can do. I posted the instructions on my blog. Normally, I use my original designs to create my pieces, but I decided to focus on magazine art because that way everyone can do it. All you need is a magazine. The Glossy Project is an embroidered piece, that is then appliquéd, stamped, painted and doodled on. Anything goes with these pieces. 

What are your goals as an artist? Long and short term?
I want to continue on this path.....to continue to try new things and get lost in it. I also really enjoy creating zines, It is such a creative escape. I enjoy sharing with others my techniques and ideas. Self-publishing has been a lot of fun for me. My long term plans consists of finishing The Glossy Project. That has been so much fun.

What else can we see from you this year?

I have been working on a book for eons now, I am slowly inching into finishing it. I have a few online classes coming up this summer and The Glossy Project is going strong.


Thank you Alma.


I hope you all have an excellent weekend. I am a little bit behind on the Painting Process but will be back with Round 4 next week.