Jayne Larson - Camarillo, CA

1.  What do you call yourself - art wise?  Textile Artist or Fiber Artist.
2.  How do you jump start your creativity when you are in a slump?   I never have a problem with finding inspiration from my life and environment. The outdoors and my yard are great places to observe plants, bugs and critters of all kinds. Just a simple errand, like a trip to Home Depot, one of my favorite places, brings lots of colors, textures and ideas. The biggest challenge is selecting from the many possibilities. My sketchbook or my camera helps me to play and finally to focus my energy in a specific direction
3.  If money wasn't an issue, what would you do with your art? I might enjoy some very large installation work, like Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Well, maybe not quite that large....but something that works in the context of nature
4.  Do you keep a sketchbook, journal, etc.?  Yes, my sketchbook is a tool for inspiration. I'm not very faithful but, I use it to take notes, doodle, keep clippings of photos and I go back to it frequently
5.  Where can people see your other work this year?  shows, books, magazines, etc.  I will be participating in a show "Art From Cloth" in Newbury Park CA in October 2011. The show is sponsored by the Extreme Quilters mini group. And my work can be seen on my mini group's blog: Digital to Textile: Eight Views.
6.  Do you teach?  where?  I have taught at my local quilt shop, Quilters Studio, in Newbury Park, CA. which accommodates wet studio activities like dyeing, discharge and printing.
7.  Is there a particular artist who had influenced you in your art life? and why? Rembrandt is my all time favorite, he makes me want to draw more and better. I also love primitive or naive art for its boldness and raw creativity.
8. Where or what show do you hope your work will be in someday?  Visions
9.  Describe your studio workspace.  I juggle my studio space between the dining room, the garage and the family room. My sewing room is actually a storage room for my supplies, fabrics and books.
10.  What 3 tools could you not live without?   Seam ripper with a large ergonomic handle, computer, and camera
11.  What drives you to make the work that you do? It’s a mystery! From somewhere in my DNA, I am wired to make, arrange, record, or express things about the life around me. 
12.  How do you balance your life? Between art, nature, friends, family and yoga - its a wonderful life!