Dan Olfe received a PhD from the California Institute of Technology and was an engineering professor for three and a half decades (including 30 years at the University of California, San Diego). After retiring, he published a computer graphics textbook, and then started making art quilts to decorate his new contemporary home. All of his designs are created on a computer. At first, his pieced and hand-painted quilts were designed using Illustrator and Canvas 2D. When he started having his designs digitally printed, he used Bryce, Rhino, and Maya 3D. Most recently, he has used Photoshop to modify and layer photos taken with his high-resolution Nokia camera-phone. The printed designs are quilted and finished on his home sewing machine.
“Creating a digital art quilt is a lot like academic research. You first get an idea, based on your previous work, or on something you have seen. Next you use your computer to try many ways to realize your idea. When you feel you can go no further and are satisfied with the design, you print and quilt. Creating art has the added pleasure of working with colors, shapes, and combinations that excite the eye.”