Featured Artist - September 2013
Jan Rickman
Whitewater, CO
[email protected]
www.janrickman.com
Fabric artist, art quilter, designer and creator of clothing and accessories, Midwesterner transplanted to the west, inspired by the landscape and open skies of Colorado, animal lover, horse woman, gardener and contributing citizen of the Unaweep canyon – all these make up my character and influence my artwork.
I am optimistic by nature, sensing patterns and serendipity in my surroundings and the world. This sense of harmony informs my vision and invigorates my designs, influencing their balance of color and dynamic motion. I create abstract works in vivid tones as well as realistic renderings of the western landscape and artifacts. My four-piece series of horses rises off the surfaces of large wall pieces in brilliant colors that telegraph their vitality and wild freedom of spirit. Abstracts allow me to express the sense of dynamic movement I feel in a world where bodies are connected over time and space and share the harmonious motion of the cosmos. My certainty about pervasive design and purpose in the world translates into the brilliant colors and positive spirit of my work.
My process is hands-on and depends on the tactile manipulation of fabric and the addition of intense detail added through free-motion machine stitching. By folding and layering hand dyed fabric I build texture as I lay out designs that I embellish with painting, stamping, bead work or metallic thread and paints. Collage plays a part in my aesthetic as well as designs that suggest views of deep space.
My sense that art should be fun keeps my palette vivid and designs energetic – I love life and want my work to exhibit vitality by the creative fusion of media based on my unique vision and designs.
Please click images for a larger view
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