This Week @ Monday Creek: Lit & Quilts

Quilts by Doug Sundling
The Athens Public Library, Home Street, Athens, Ohio

Lit & Quilts

At Monday Creek Publishing, we are delighted to announce a collaboration with local artist and author, Erica Magnus. Erica and I met at the Athens Public Library last week. 

Erica is a creative force whose career spans painting, illustration, and children’s literature. She earned her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and pursued further studies in painting and sculpture at Atelier ’63 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. She later completed her MFA at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where she also worked with Buckminster Fuller’s World Game Workshop.

Her professional journey includes freelance work in publishing, creature design, and graphic novel development for film and television. Erica’s art has been exhibited internationally, and she’s taught art education at the college level and to gifted children since 1972.

Erica has illustrated and authored numerous works, including:

• Old Lars (1984)
• The Boy and the Devil (1986)
• Around Me (1992)
• My Secret Place (1994)
• The Ocean Within by V.M. Caldwell (1999)
• Tides by V.M. Caldwell
• When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike by Michelle Houts (2016)

In 1988, Erica received the Ohio Citizens Award from the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, recognizing her contributions to children’s literature and education. She is a proud member of the Authors Guild Inc., Authors League of America Inc., and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, affirming her commitment to literary excellence and advocacy.

While at the library, I remembered that a new acquaintance, Doug Sundling, replaced the quilts above the piano at the library the week before. Doug was in Ohio during Wisteria, a celebration of arts and sustainability, where his quilts have been displayed as part of a broader celebration of creativity and ecological awareness. 

Doug’s designs embrace intricate textile artistry, blending geometric abstract and organic motifs. The designs evolve from original sketches, brought to life by the skilled hands of an Amish quilter. Sundling’s original designs influence the broader Appalachian creative community.

The exhibit at the Athens Public Library is part of their Arts & Creativity programming. Displayed in the library’s atrium, Sundling’s quilts invite viewers to reflect on the interplay between structure and spontaneity.  

Besides creating quilts, Sundling is also an author. Here are some of his most notable works:

• People Are Strange: The Ultimate Guide to The Doors (2007)  
• Doors — Artistic Vision (1998)  
• The Ultimate Doors Companion (2000)  
• The Doors: A Guide Offers  
• The Quest of the Lost Unicorn  

There’s a rich world of creativity waiting for you at the Athens County Public Library, and standout features deserve your attention - the literary works of Erica Magnus and Doug Sundling – and the beautiful quilts displayed from the library rafters. 

A Note from Doug:  I am currently looking for a new partner. The Amish lady I referred to is in her 80s and no longer purses the craft.  Basically, I need someone who can piece and quilt and is willing to collaborate or offer guidance on technique and design, notably creative quilting patterns or techniques. It is similar to an engineer working with an architect to make sure the intended design can be manifested.