Waltraud has been an artist as long she can remember.
Growing up in country Austria has given her a strong sense for improvising and seeing materials out of context.
She lets fabrics show her what they are willing to do, and trusts her hands and heart in the exploration of her hats, weaving and canvases. Waltraud’s skill is firmly grounded in traditional millinery techniques, which she deconstructs as she reaches into her imagination. Hat making for Waltraud believes that hats are the art of the HeArT. Her arts practice has helped her find a way through adversities in her life, conquering depression, an eating disorder and many losses. Thus has she come to believe in the healing qualities of creative expression as a way for many people to engage with feelings which can be too painful to speak about. Waltraud doesn’t shock about much. “We are all human,” she says, “which means we are flawed, and of course unique.”
