Artist's Statement:

Jennifer Davies makes monotypes, watercolors, collages and handmade paper pieces. Working on location, she draws patterns from nature – rock faces, sand ridges, and waves which she then abstracts and enlarges into prints and paper pieces. By folding and dyeing heavy paper, she mimics topographical and earthy surfaces. Further additions are made by painting and drawing. Layering is an important technique and she encourages information to be alternately obscured and revealed throughout a long process.

Another element of her work is the use of handmade paper. She uses pigmented cotton, abaca, or linen pulp as one would use paint. The image is built up by pouring liquid pulp onto a base sheet, using squirt bottles and stencils to produce a patterned, textured result.

The Asian fibers she processes herself, cooking and beating mulberry stalks to make a feathery pulp. Long translucent sheets are made from this. On frames she weaves string and paper yarn that, when dipped in the slurry of pulp and water, dry as lacy webs. Some of these dipped weavings are further embroidered or wrapped with threads to enrich the surface.

In the collages, diverse papers are sewn and glued into surprising combinations. The papers used are often covered with prior visual information – scraps of old monotypes or failed drawings. Their history animates the collage. She works intuitively, and allows herself to be led to the next step. In all her work she seeks to express something lively and joyful through her materials and imagery.

Jennifer Davies is a member of Fiber Artists Collective www.fiberartists.org.