AUBURN - An artist may find their muse pretty much anywhere.

And that initial jolt of inspiration may find its outlet in any number of forms and mediums.

This is a fact that members of the Rochester Area Fiber Artists know quite well and it is one that several members were more than happy to share with a full house of quilt enthusiasts Sunday afternoon at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn.

The gallery is presently in the midst of its annual juried Quilts = Art = Quilts exhibition, which has drawn more than 100 artists from all over the country to enter and display their works at the Schweinfurth.

The gallery has a long and dedicated history with quilts and strongly believes in their value as a distinctive art form. They have displayed these unique pieces since the early 1980s.

Sunday afternoon kicked off what the Schweinfurth refers to as its trunk shows, a show-and-tell of sorts, which gathers quilting artists to discuss and share their approach, ideas and techniques.

Sunday's talk with members of the RAFA was the first of a five-part series. The RAFA is a group of approximately 50 members based in the Rochester area that gather once a month to discuss and show their work to each other.

They look at new techniques and ways to approach quilts and continue to develop this unique form of art.

Traditionally, quilts have often been used as a way of telling a story, whether it's the story of a family tree or an individual's life or special events or scenes from sources such as the Bible.

While these sources of inspiration still hold true today, groups and artists like those involved with the RAFA, have been pushing the medium's boundaries.

Some of the artists have stayed with traditional approaches, materials and subject matter, while others have started mixing mediums and incorporating Adobe Photoshop as well as finding inspiration in everything from abstract to impressionistic works.

Artists in the group discussed their inspiration and said they found it everywhere, from everyday life, depicting scenes such as a brick wall and wrought iron fence and two portraits of parents and sisters.

Diane Miller was among the artists to speak Sunday. Miller has long been interested in the medium and has focused a great deal on machine knitting since the mid 1970s.

But she has also spent a great deal of time working on ways to expand her work.

“I started playing with what you could do,” Miller said. “And I got caught up in it.”

Miller showed several pieces which displayed how quilts and the art of quilting can transcend and mix genres.

Miller showed a sweater as well as a jacket she designed and created which incorporate her interests in quilting and machine knitting.

She also displayed a unique quilt which she said she was inspired to make on the idea of how a hummingbird moves, titled “Flight of the Hummingbird.”

The piece displayed in vibrant colors a swirling slightly erratic pattern inside of which a small hummingbird was hidden.

Miller and her fellow artists were glad to have the chance to share their knowledge and ideas.

“It is a lot of fun,” Miller said.

“It is always fun to get together and share ideas with fellow artists.”

The next trunk show at the Schweinfurth will take place Sunday and will feature artist Christine Wickert.

Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net