Jean McLaughlin Cowie has lived most of her life in the west where the bold landscapes and stunning, expansive topographies have heavily influenced her work.
Largely self taught, Jean has perfected the necessary technical skills to construct any design, enabling her to break from more traditional methods to create pieces that are out of the ordinary.
She holds a degree in Apparel Design from Montana State University.
Jean began her life-long love of fiber arts in the early seventies, where her early works in traditional quilt patterns emerged as clothing, handbags and household items as well as quilts. Through experimentation with very non-traditional designs, Jean fashioned one-of-a-kind wearable art for many years. The three dimensional quality of clothing challenged her to develop the technical expertise and artistic skill with asymmetry and balance that are signature qualities of her current work.
Jean has returned to the quilt format, as wall art, as it has proven to be the best showcase for her distinctive contemporary fine art.
Thinking Out Loud....
Fabric—m-m-m-m....Tactile pleasure, self expression, Color and Texture—emotions which can be evoked by using varied textured fabrics, blending and contrasting colors, embellishing techniques and a piece of my soul.
Inspirations....Nature and her boundless wonders, Intriguing shapes, Color combinations, Other designers, Books, My dreams.
Techniques....Freestyle design, Piecing, Various forms of appliqué, Frequent use of my hand-painted fabrics, Fabric manipulations, Perspective developed through blending and contrasting color, Free motion stitching and quilting.
Rewards of my labors to myself and you....Pure delightful indulgence! Each piece is unique, original and exclusive having undergone a thoughtful and loving evolution from the first seed of inspiration to the ultimate final creation. There is no substitute for beauty adorning our world! |
Jean working in her studio |
