Issue 17 contributor April Garcia has been creating colorful and whimsical soft sculptures for over two decades. Her work makes her smile, and it makes us smile too!


Tell us a little bit about you.

I have been a soft sculpture artist for twenty years and I have always been obsessed with my process in creating my art. I’ve been on a long journey from where I started, and my current body of work has got me really excited about the future of my art-making.

Because of the crazy, horrible shit going on in the world, my depression and anxiety have been really hard to live with and my art and family are what keep me going and feeling like I can survive my illness and the weight of it all. Because of this, my soft sculpture work is super colorful and I enjoy creating work that makes me smile. But most importantly what makes me even happier is when people see my work and they smile too.

“There is something so powerful about color therapy that I think is so interesting and I can’t stop, won’t stop making colorful work.”

My last solo exhibit in Taylor, TX, was a very colorful show. People walked into the gallery and would step back and just smile at the overload of colors. That is what really makes me feel so good about the work that I do. There is something so powerful about color therapy that I think is so interesting and I can’t stop, won’t stop making colorful work.

April Garcia Artwork Process Steps 1 & 2
April Garcia Artwork Process Steps 1 & 2
Can you share more about your artistic process?

My art process has been a long journey of exploring different types of canvases to work on – light fixtures, cardboard, wood – now my current process involves creating a concrete base set with a thick wire. I build upon the wire and create soft sculpture forms.

April Garcia Artwork Finals
April Garcia Artwork Finals

I use plastic containers that would normally end up in recycling and I use them as molds for my concrete base making process. I have a bit of an obsession with circles and creating these little fabric balls. I think this process is very meditative for me and helps me chill out when I am feeling overwhelmed. The running stitch is a stitch I use a lot to make my bits and pieces. When I sit and sew, for that moment I can allow everything to melt away and I feel calm and at peace. I love repurposing old clothes and recently have been incorporating toys into my pieces.

Check out April’s work!

Instagram // Website

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here