Joy in Cloth
Laura Jaszkowski

1355 N. Park Ave.
Eugene, OR
97404-2177 US
541-687-1190

JoyinCloth@gmail.com

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Artist Information for Laura Jaszkowski

I have been creating with needle and thread for as long as I can remember starting with award-winning garments.  Eventually artistic quilt designs became part of my creative repertoire. Currently I focus primarily on producing wall hangings out of a variety of textiles or a combination of textiles and mixed media, usually using the raw edge applique method and free-motion quilting. 

Fabric is my chosen medium because it carries a feeling of familiarity to the viewer while affording me many artistic pathways for color and texture.  My degree in anthropology never landed me a paying job, but it has been a rich source of creative ideas over the years.  I find inspiration in many places, but the most common influence on my work is the diversity of human culture and the expansive landscapes that still exist in some places on Earth.  For many years I worked diligently to depict realistic scenes in my art work.  After much struggle to let go of the minute details, I have recently moved to a much more impressionistic and abstract style.  I love this new way of working which allows me spur-of-the-moment freedom and intuitive decision-making as I move through the creative process.

Whether depicting cultural iconography or vast horizons, I always hope that my work conveys a feeling of the human connectedness we all have with each other and the ancient land masses upon which we exist.

Images scroll down to view all

Rift Valley

Rift Valley43" w x 40" h   rift valley n (1903): an elongated valley formed by the depression of a block of the earth's crust between two faults or groups of faults of approximately parallel strike Although I live in the city, it is vast, open spaces of land that truly inspire me. Undeveloped and untouched land makes me think about how so much of our earth looked to earlier inhabitants. As time passes, and these vistas disappear, they seem even more precious. I like to imagine what people long before me felt when they first saw the same landscape. There are still some places on earth that can awaken that collective memory.

Canyonlands

Canyonlands24" x 30"  

Altitude

Altitude24" x 30"  

Fallow Fields

Fallow Fields24" x 30"  

Precious Land

Precious Land40" x 42"   Photo by Jon Christopher Meyers

As the human population increases on Earth, our cities creep ever outward. The human psyche needs places that are open, quiet and free of chaos. Will we guard those places as precious or will they slowly disappear?