Jane El Simpson
Artist Statement For me, it began with fabric. Dad could fix anything. Mom was a talented seamstress and avid gardener. I learned by observation and experimentation.Understanding garment construction helped me become a skilled picture framer and artist: I'm able to envision, construct, and precisely fit components together.
My recent body of work is constructed mainly of naturally occurring materials: sticks, small stones, milkweed pods, thorns and pine needles, plus I use paper, thread, graphite and gouache. Inspiration comes from the rural landscape; the way wind shapes tall grass, pine needles floating on top of a puddle, growth pattern of a branch, the shape of a milkweed pod.
I frequently walk five miles through the woods to work. After spring flooding the trail is littered with natural debris. Through the chaos I spy twigs of unusual shape and fallen pine needles lined up as if someone spent hours arranging them. I collect materials and scribe this vision into my memory notebook. Later I'll recall this eloquent forest language as I create minimalist sculptures, fusing single elements culled from many, into peaceful works of art.
Biography