Trillium Woods Resident Artist Series: Jane Johnston

Jane Johnston was first introduced to the art of weaving as a young girl. During summer visits to her grandmother’s, she would play in the carriage house where her grandmother’s loom was and her fascination quickly grew. But it wasn’t until her son was born that she took her first weaving class.

Weaving is a rather mathematical and linear art form, which is how Jane first learned the fundamentals, but that wasn’t nearly as exciting for her as seeing the colors move in random form.

“Color inspires me – the endless possibilities of combining colors, learning the theory and experimenting,” said Jane.

Even before Jane learned to weave, color inspired her work. She says photography was her first love, particularly because of the colors she could capture. Tapestries offered a freer form, but the firm materials were not Jane’s favorite to work with. It wasn’t until she discovered warp painting that she truly found her artistic passion.

Warp painting involves preparing the warp (the stationary threads stretching across the loom), then using fiber reactive dyes to create the design and weaving the material through. Jane’s favorite materials to use are silk and Tencel. She loves creating pieces that are soft, fluid and wearable, such as silk shawls and scarves. These intricate pieces usually take around 40 hours to complete!

Jane’s work was displayed and sold for many years at a gallery and clothing store in Cable, Wisconsin. While her silk shawls and scarves are no longer available for purchase, you can still view her beautiful creations on her website.

We’re all so thankful to have Jane’s beautiful artistry in our midst at the community. Keep up with the Trillium Woods Artist Series on the Trillium Woods blog, where we continue to feature the talented resident artists at Trillium Woods.