Mixed Media | Artist Statement

In my studio practice, I define mixed media as Art using a variety of materials and techniques, specifically including fiber and/or paper castings, which may also include free-form sculptural pieces. Mixed Media 2D work without these elements as well as my “BKind” Art Card & Vintage series generally fall into my “Collage” category and are not included in my “Mixed Media” collections.

After a few of life’s turns, I found I needed time for reflection and personal connections. I began to rekindle my childhood knit and crochet skills after joining a community of knitters and then found my way to cross-stitch and embroidery as a means to connect with family and traditions. As I slowly built my skills, I became intrigued by the possibilities. I looked for ways to entwine this new knowledge into a larger storytelling arc within my paintings and collages.

By using fiber as an element in my art, I choose to slow down my process, feel the materials in my hand, and contemplate their meaning and connections to history and community. I play with the pieces and the juxtaposition of fiber to paper and paint, finding myself in a new relationship with the creative process. As I learn and struggle, I recognize, too, a feeling of urgency in sharing my personal and artistic journey, even as I have no idea where it may lead.

This journey has led to the creation of several series of work (which remain perpetually in progress) featuring art pieces using fiber, including (in reverse order): Time and Place, Origin of Species, Of the Mind, The Swatch Project, Collage X Poetry, Fractured Stories of Hope, Cellular Thoughts, Unbound, and Being.

~ Jennifer