 Born in New Jersey, Geraldine McCleave showed an early interest
in art, winning an art contest in the 8th grade. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree
from the California College of Arts and Crafts and her Masters in Fine Arts from the M.S.
University of Baroda, in India. "I think that my basic gifts in art have been a keen
sense of color and an aptitude for proportion", she says. |
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 Returning
to the United States, she found work as a fashion designer on Seventh Avenue
in New York City. Here she developed her design abilities and began her eye
for combining textiles.After becoming a parent (of two) she searched for an independent way to be at home with her children and work on art she enjoyed. Unable to find pillows she liked for her home she made her first in 1988. She soon began making original and interesting pillows and found her way into the antique textile niche, where she was the only one at the time. It was the beginning of a 13 year old business. While selling her pillows at the 26th Street Antique Market, her big break came when Barbra Streisand selected Geraldine’s pillows for her movie, The Mirror Has Two Faces Since then people looking for the unique and elegant found in her designs have been coming to her. Bergdorf Goodman’s has a large collection of her pillows on the 7th floor in the Traditional Room. Asked why she feels her pillows are so unique she answered, "I love the rare and beautiful antique textiles-I find joy in conceiving of and making a pillow of beauty and substance which will add the very special touch to a home. The owner on one of my pillows can feel confident that they have an antique textile that has been hand -crafted to become a work of art in fabric. Now, after the horror of the WTT tragedy we are all looking at our lives and realizing the importance of our homes, our families and feel the necessity of creating a warm and unique gathering place for our family and friends. My pillows in your home give the added lift to uniqueness, whether in your living room or in a bedroom. Also, they will always be welcomed as the gift of dreams.
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Photographs on this page by Stanley McCleave. Please visit his web site at www.stanphoto.com. |
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| Please also take a look at my husband Lambert's photographic efforts. | |
