Living in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, the natural environment plays a big role in my creative life. Being surrounded by forested mountains, rivers, lakes, and abundant wildlife, gives me regular opportunities to slow down, observe, and gather inspiration. Spending time outdoors helps me reset and often influences the colors, textures, and subjects that show up in my work.

 

At 14, I came across a newspaper ad for what felt like a dream job and rode my bike across town for my very first interview. Soon after, I became an apprentice basket weaver at a well-known fiber arts studio in San Jose. Working under Maxine Kirmeyer of the Kirmeyer School of Fiber Studies was a formative experience. Over five years in the studio, I learned a great deal about fiber arts and developed skills I still use today. I was surrounded by generosity, knowledge, and care as my role grew from preparing materials for other weavers to becoming a weaver myself.
 

While in college, I found myself drawn back again and again to fiber arts, especially loom weaving. I took the fiber arts class multiple times, each round wanting to go a little further. Eventually, I began experimenting with wire on the loom and creating woven sculptural pieces. My instructor, Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, was incredibly supportive and encouraged me to explore nontraditional materials and take risks with the process.

As my interests grew, I moved on to ceramics and metal sculpture, following my curiosity wherever it led. Much of my time at San José State University was also spent painting and learning from Rupert Garcia, whose approach to art and activism left a lasting impression on my work and thinking as an artist.

Over the years, I’ve taken on painting commissions, murals, graphic design, and web design projects, but my heart lives in experimentation. I love collage, gel plate printmaking, expressive painting, lino printing, basket weaving, multimedia, and digital art. Mixing materials, trying new processes, and seeing what happens is a big part of how I work.

 

I have worked many years in public education, both with students with disabilities, education teams, and designing and providing professional development for educators throughout Placer County and the state of California. Currently I am a part-time instructor for special education teacher intern programs and also teach a variety of art workshops for adult community education organizations.

Creativity has always been an important way for me to feel connected and grounded. It helps me tune into things that aren’t always visible but are deeply felt. Sometimes I create work for others, and other times I create simply for myself. Either way, time spent with paint on my hands or getting creative always feels like time well spent.

~Jill