Jeanie Pratt

As a fiber artist who now works with metal, I find that after 30 years, I am still striving to turn straw into gold! I am passionate about discovering the surprises of using fiber techniques in my work with copper, silver, gold and niobium. With a weaver's eye for color, I explore the processes of applying patinas and enamels, as well as incorporating gemstones and beads into my work.

My designs and patterns have been inspired by the study of traditional textiles that I encountered while living in West Africa , Guatemala , and the United Kingdom . My organic geometric shapes are derived from my earlier studies of entomology, botany and my love of natural history in general.

I love to pursue possibilities that emerge from within the solitude of my garden shed studio. Fiber arts counterbalance the intense human contact and often illogical bureaucracy of my "day job" at Social Services. I lose myself in time through detailed labor-intensive processes. I strive to push my own limits as well as the limits of the techniques and materials that I use.