JENNIFER JAMES

Jennifer James is a multi-textural artist who started her art journey from the time she could hold a crayon. She has been crafting pottery since the tender age of 13, experimenting with different forms of hand building. One of her most cherished creations is a series of pottery bird women, which she has been exploring for years. She is fascinated by the spiritual significance of birds and adds this extra layer of interest to her work, blending her art with her spiritual connection to nature. Jennifer has been exploring two new firing techniques , raku and saggar. With the help of a fellow potter Jennifer has been able to explore the unpredictable nature of saggar and raku pottery. When one decides to delve into ceramics one quickly learns the art of surrender. Jennifer has humbly learned over the years to never get attached to a piece until it is completed. To many things can go wrong with clay and raku and saggar pottery are no exception. Jennifer loves the unpredictability of these firing methods and delights in the unexpected results. Opening a saggar firing is like opening a present Christmas morning, you have no idea what to expect. It is this excitement that keeps Jennifer interested in exploring pottery and all the ways you can manipulate and change it, alchemy at its best. In 2006, Jennifer migrated to the South Pacific, where she couldn't continue with pottery. However, this proved to be an opportunity for her to learn oil painting and fashion design. She loves making her own clothes but hates the leftover scraps of fabric. That's when she came up with the brilliant idea of making fabric birds, combining her love of sewing and making sculptural art while using up the leftover fabric from garments she has made. Wanting to expand the use of scraps and found objects Jennifer created Woodland tree spirits from left over fabric and making clay faces and chest pieces. Jennifer is now exploring upcycling fabric and making one of a kind jackets. Ever the curious artist, Jennifer took an encaustic class in Washington State and became enchanted with this ancient form of painting that uses wax. The wax allows her to carve and build up layers of wax, making her paintings more 3D. She adores the many layers of wax that can be added to a painting and the other mediums, such as oil pastels and found objects, that can be added towards the end of the process. Plus, she gets to play with fire! It's vital to fuse every layer of wax together as she paints. Jennifer was fortunate to continue her study of encaustic painting in Ladner for about 1.5 years.