Painted Hippo Studio

Welcome to Painted Hippo Studio. I’m Keri Bas, and I create stories in textile and fiber, in paint and pencil, and in words. I enjoy telling tales of hope in the face of despair, of surreal worlds alongside our own, and of the power of people to shape their worlds.

You’re invited to a Creativity Social!

Every second Sunday, I host a creativity social at The Teahouse Shepherd Square, 2089 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098. This low-key gathering is open to everyone, at every level, who wishes to chat and work in community with like-minded folks. There is no set agenda; each person can bring a personal project or simply sit and chat.

Bring along something easy to set up and clean up at a shared café table. Past sessions have included sketching, watercolor painting, collage, origami, embroidery, knitting, crochet, writing, and digital art. The lighting is spotty in the Teahouse interior, so some artists have found small personal lights to be helpful.

The Teahouse offers an expansive menu of teas, coffees, and snacks, with plenty of nearby dining options in the plaza and ample parking. I hope that everyone who can do so will support the venue by making a purchase.

I hope to see you there! Subscribe to my newsletter for monthly reminders and future invitations!

Upcoming dates:
Sunday, September 13, 2026, 1:00pm
Sunday, October 11, 2026, 1:00pm
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 1:00pm
Sunday, December 13, 2026, 1:00pm

Longarm Quilting

Are you looking for longarm quilting? I do freehand and ruler-aided longarm quilting for clients. Email me for more information and to get a quote. It helps to have the dimensions of your quilt top (in inches) at the ready.

Detail of longarm quilting with pattern of ‘dinosaur tracks’. on earth tone fabrics. — Longarm quilting

Current Exhibitions

photograph of an applique quilt with many various silhouettes of heads on a pale blue star field background, framing a black infinity symbol with the words 'We the People' hand embroidered across it. Each head has the name of a religious tradition hand embroidered on it, e.g. 'Zoroastrian', 'Christian', 'Buddhist', 'Pastafarian', 'None'.

This piece is traveling with Art Quilters Celebrate Independence, a Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA) exhibition organized by the Pennsylvania Region.

On View:
Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA: June 12, 2026 to August 29, 2026

Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, Oaks, PA: Sept. 17, 2026 to Sept. 20, 2026

Phillips’ Mill Community Association, New Hope, PA: November 13, 2026 to December 13, 2026

Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA: January 30, 2027 to May 23, 2027

Title: No Religious Test Shall Ever Be Required
Quilt Statement: Article VI of the United States Constitution concludes with the affirmation that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” Equality of religion under the law is an ideal the United States is still struggling to implement in public life and policy enforcement. The plurality of religions in the U.S. is far too large to fit in a limited area so this can be considered a close crop of a much larger field.

Photograph of a square quilt featuring applique of a princess, a horse-riding hero, the many heads of a green dragon, the sun, moon, wind, cloud, sea, and stars, in the Cherrywood Storytime color palette. Hand-embroidered text reads, "O cloud! O wind! through the sky flying! O stars! O moon! O bright sun! Where is my beloved?" Based on the Polish tale of Princess Miranda.

This piece is traveling with the Cherrywood Challenge 2026: Storytime, with the Fable group. Visit the website for a full schedule.

Title: Miranda’s Appeal
Quilt Statement: Drawing inspiration from my Polish heritage, I illustrate the tale of “Princess Miranda & Prince Hero,” translated by Maude Ashurt Briggs in 1920 based on the 1862 book by A.J. Glinski. The epic features a magical maiden turning her unwanted suitor into ice, a hero marching up from the sea in an enchanted golden helmet, a confrontation with a twelve-headed dragon, and a traditional appeal to elements of nature. The stars form the constellation Scutum (“shield”), named by Polish astronomer Jan Heweliusz in honor of Polish King Jan III Sobieski. To me, the rich colors of the fabrics evoke the artwork of Tomie DaPaola and Sheilah Beckett, whose fairy and folk tale illustrations were ubiquitous in my childhood, and their influence is clear in the resulting work.

This piece is featured in SAQA’s Virtual Gallery Urban Rhythms

Title: Gridlock
Quilt Statement: A classic view in Houston is that of bumper-to-bumper traffic framed by road construction. The orange signs that warn of upcoming obstacles here warn of the neverending gridlock in our fair city.