About Me
@JULIECLENDENENSIMPSON
j u l i e c l e n d e n e n s i m p s o n
WEAVER and PAINTER
TEXTILES
I design, draft and hand weave innovative, contemporary textiles on a 10 harness Macomber foot pedaled floor loom built in 1955. Each piece is one of a kind, woven with colorful sustainable fibers including cashmere, merino wool and alpaca. Lightweight textiles for spring and summer are designed with cotton, bamboo, linen and silk. Each textile piece is reversible with subtle design details and patterns. A sculptural quality with multiple layers and unique textures is achieved by incorporating weave structures, such as deflected double weave. I have been hand weaving for over 30 years and love color combining fibers to produce luxurious woven accessories that pursue elegance, creativity and classic craftsmanship. Contact me for wholesale inquiries and custom orders.
PAINTINGS
Equally colorful and layered as my textile work, my mixed media paintings harness details inspired by nature. Incorporating gestural lines and repeated patterns, these layered works capture and explore the balance of organic imagery with geometric shapes and forms. Multiple layers of paint add to the surface texture of the canvases. I am intrigued with the negative spaces that emerge as a painting develops and the spatial transparency that is created. I am fond of abstract imagery, which are depicted in these visual narratives. Incorporating concepts of scale, space, rhythm and movement lend to the perspective of each piece. There is a reliance on repeated patterns, gestural lines, and grids. Patterns that exist in nature, intertwine with personal stories to inspire the compositions. I began stitching certain paintings by hand-sewing nylon thread directly into the canvas. This subtle pattern of fiber adds texture and fine detail.
Artist History
EDUCATION
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
BFA - Textile Design, 1991
INSTITUTO ALLENDE
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Tapestry Weaving 1990
find me here too:
RISDMADE.com
Artistintersection.com
A BIT OF ME
Born in California, the love of the sunshine and beach enhanced my appreciation of the outdoors. Early artistic memories include sketching and coloring in squares of grid paper making patterns and designs with colored pencils and markers. Observing small details of textures and shapes sparked my interest in fine pencil drawing which led to exploring different art mediums, including ceramics, printmaking and sculpture through art and design classes in high school. Pursuing my artistic interests, I earned my degree in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design.
I am a lifelong swimmer and the love of water is a source of inspiration. Botanical details, succulents and all things patterned, including vintage handkerchiefs, quilts, woven tapestries and rugs are sources of inspiration. I have lived on the West Coast for most of my life, and I am a proud mom of 2 awesome humans and currently reside in Olympia Washington.
***The logo of the "JAC" was drawn in my baby book by my mother -a clever way of representing my initials....Julie Ann Clendenen.... I have a large collection of metal and ceramic JACKS which was a favored childhood game.