Mosaics & Original Woodblock Prints
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Patti Jacquemain was raised on a
ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where she developed a great
love of the outdoors. Upon graduation from high school, she
attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles on a
scholarship. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Painting
from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1964 and a
Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from the same school in
1974.
Patti began her career by concentrating on drawing, painting, and
etching. She was introduced to the woodcut in 1974 and has worked
principally in the relief process ever since. Most of her prints
are made from wood and linoleum blocks are are often inspired by
her watercolors.
The subject matter of Patti's prints are a reflection of her
travels and experiences worldwide. For two years she explored the
eastern seaboard while working and living aboard a 44 foot
sailboat, creating the series of prints "To Port and
Starboard." The imagery of her experiences and the moods of
the sea continue to be reflected in some of her current work.
"Since I was a child, I have always loved art. Growing up on an 18 acre lemon ranch in Santa Barbara, I was continually outside in the creek or horseback riding in the backcountry during which I gained a great love for nature. When I went to College, there was never any question that I would study art. In graduate school, I concentrated on printmaking (etching), but after I was introduced to woodblock relief printing (woodcuts), I was hooked and have worked in that media ever since. At the same time, after a trip to Italy, I also fell in love with the beauty and permanency of the ancient art of mosaics. While I experimented with many different art techniques, I discovered my enthusiasm truly was for woodblock printmaking and mosaics, and that has continued until this day. Essentially, my style of woodcut prints has remained much the same throughout the years, although I am always seeing new things with new ideas and am working on different subjects. I like to focus on a particular subject and work on a series of related original prints, always nature related. I have done groups of water- and land-scapes, flowers, grasses, wildlife, and other wild things. Since I spend much time in Montana, that land of seasonal changes, much of my work reflects the inspiration (particularly wildlife) I get from these frequent visits.
"Not unrelated to my art, I have become very passionate about what is happening to this country’s vanishing wilderness and wildlife, which influenced me to form the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos in 1997, and the Creekspirit Wildlife Foundation in 2001, two organizations dedicated to educating the public through art with related programs and opportunities to learn and help the environment. One of my favorite quotes that motivated my feelings about wild things is by Chief Seattle, Chief of the Suquasmash Indians in Washington State, who wrote in 1851,
“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.”Jacquemain was recently featured in an article in Westways, the Automobile Club of Southern California's membership magazine. In it she was interviewed about what inspired her to found the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos which is currently exhibiting the cover art of early Westways magazines. To see a copy of this article, click HERE.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW
JACQUEMAIN'S:
LINE OF ORIGINAL GREETING CARDS
