100°F
weather icon Clear

Artist paints with fabric

Drina Fried sees the world in colors and textures — but not ordinary colors and textures. She sees the world in fabric swatches.

Exposed to fine fabrics as a young girl by her father, who made displays for fine jewelry, she learned to combine her skills as a watercolor artist with a newfound love for sewing, which she discovered in the mid-1990s.

Her work, showcasing embellished fabric collages, is on display this month in the Boulder City Art Guild’s gallery inside the Boulder Dam Hotel.

Fried says she typically starts with a piece of linen and then begins “painting” by adding various fabrics such as brocade, organza, lace, lame and velvet to create her design.

Once all the fabric has been added, she embellishes the work with pieces of crystal, glass, broken bracelets and paint.

Although each piece is unique, images from one painting can often be found in another of her works.

“I could paint, but this is my niche,” she said of her work.

Fried has been an artist since she was a child. She was inspired to paint and draw after winning a coloring contest and its $25 prize when she was 8 years old.

After a career in dental hygiene, she became a school psychologist and was working in Bakersfield when she began sewing.

Fried said the home economics teacher’s class was next to her office and she asked for sewing lessons.

Pieces of fabric can be found everywhere in her home, as can pictures she created. Fried even has a room set aside for her “failures,” which are collages that didn’t come out quite as she intended but are beautiful and unique nevertheless.

Just as she carefully applies pieces of fabric to her “canvas,” Fried carefully selects a name for each creation.

“What you name a picture determines what people want to see,” she said.

A native of New York, Fried had been a resident of Southern Nevada since 2008 and is a member of the Boulder City Art Guild. She is a three-time cancer survivor.

In addition to showing her own award-winning work, Fried helps manage the work of her late grandmother, author Taylor Caldwell, who wrote 33 best-selling novels.

A reception in Fried’s honor will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, in the gallery. All are welcome to attend.

The gallery is at 1305 Arizona St. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Call 702-293-2138 for additional information.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

Artist reception

When: 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9

Where: Boulder City Art Guild Gallery, 1305 Arizona St.

Cost: Free

Info: 702-293-2138

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Summer is a time to be safe

It’s a safe bet that the one thing we all have in common every summer is managing the extreme heat and our body’s reaction to the excessive temperature prevalent in our geographic location.

Free fishing fun

Logan Davis, along with his kids Winter and Maverick, tried their best to catch a fish Saturday, along with all the many others who enjoyed the city’s free fishing day at the pond at Veterans Memorial Park.

Ordinance promotes cleanliness, accessibility of public places

Individuals camping in public spaces has increased dramatically in the past few years across the nation. On May 27 the city of Boulder City joined the cities of Reno, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Sparks, along with Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties in passing a measure to expand the prohibition on camping in public places within city limits. The new ordinance goes into effect on June 19, 2025.

And all that jazz (in the park)

A relatively small but appreciative crowd turned out Saturday evening for Jazz in the Park, sponsored by the Boulder City Parks and Recreation Department and the Las Vegas Jazz Society. The evening featured the Marlane Coker Quintet and guest at Bicentennial Park.

Flushing faux pas may lead to clogs, costly repairs

When it comes to plumbing clogs, we can definitely apply the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”…or in this case, a quart of Liquid Plumr.

Art exhibition to showcase work of Connie Ferraro

Connie Ferraro has worn many hats in her life. They have included Broadway dancer, actress, wife of longtime Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro and these days, artist.

Year ending on high note at Mitchell Elementary

From the first day to the last, it takes a great deal of energy to get through a school year. The students, staff, and families are ceaseless in their efforts to ensure that we have a great year from beginning to end. We are successful because we are supported by our community.

Mental health in an aging population

The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviors.

Sunflower Breakfast celebrates King’s parent volunteers

Boulder City’s commitment to community was on full display at this year’s annual Sunflower Breakfast, a heartwarming event dedicated to honoring the incredible volunteers who help our school thrive.

Reframing language in mental health

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.