Jan Friedman, A Glimpse Inside the Weaver.

Last month we had the privilege of our own private showing of the exquisite tapestries and other weavings of Jan Friedman. She has been a fiber artist for more than 40 years. Her tapestries and collages use hand-dyed wool, cotton, rayon and silk and well as many other natural materials.  I see  sticks and twigs, rocks and pebbles as yard work. Jan sees those same sticks and rocks as elements in her Art.

There is an inherent beauty in a leaf, a tree, a rock, all of which inspire her. Often using nature as a theme, she employs a gradation of color in her fibers that reflects light and color in much the same way as a painter uses watercolors. Her samples of the materials used in her collages drive home the point that a collage, while carefully thought out, has a life of its own and creates itself, albeit guided by deft hands. 

In the beginning of her career it was mainly tapestries, however she shifted to framed fiber collages to us a variety of materials. This is her life, but it is also her job she does many pieces on commission. Her works can be seen in hotels, office building, schools as well as private homes here and aboard. Thanks, Jan for the glimpse inside your world of sharing your passion while earning a living doing so.