JAN BODE SMILEY

ARTIST STATEMENT I love color. I love fabric. I love books, paper, paint, metal, and found objects. I love combining materials and creating unexpected color and texture combinations. I love to start a process not knowing where it will lead me. I love line, texture, and layers - layers of meaning, layers of color, layers of awareness. My current work focuses on merging these interests.

BIOGRAPHY Jan began quilting in the early 1980s. She quickly gravitated toward contemporary quilts based on traditional designs. Her work has been exhibited nationally and she has been teaching since the late 80s.

Jan's passion for batik fabrics led her to found Batiks Etcetera, a mail order source for batik fabrics from around the world. After selling the business she returned to her studio full-time. Her first book, Focus on Batiks, published by C & T Publishing, is scheduled for release in April 2004. Through the internet, Jan became aware of artist's books, altered books and the incredible variety of techniques employed in their creation. Her exploration of these mediums is very new and exciting. She looks forward to many years of creative time spent merging mediums.

For further information on these or any of Jan's other works, feel free to contact her at: batiks@cetlink.net