Pat Jeffers...artistic basketry and fiber sculptures

Representation.
The most recent news on Pat and her basketry is that she RETIRED! In June 2011 after over 20 truly wonderful years of weaving, Pat's love for painting said, "It's time that I got center-stage." Since 2000 Pat had dabbled in paint off and on, but never had the time to truly immerse herself into that art form. Now she does! Watch for the development of her new website: www.patjeffers.com which will feature her paintings.

Despite being quite the newbie, Pat's paintings have already won an award and been juried into a national show.

In September 2011 Pat held a gigantic retirement sale of weaving supplies. Many coils of reed and other weaving supplies found a new home. But there is still plenty left. Use the Contact Us link at the top to send Pat an email if you have an interest and want to know what is available.

Pat's last baskets are still available at these location:

Ago Gallery, Galleries West in Jackson, WY, Toklat Gallery in Basalt, CO, Tubac Territory Furniture and Interior Design in Tubac, AZ, and Your Private Collection Gallery in Granbury, TX.

You can also follow Pat on Facebook.

Artist's Statement

Unlike many artists who discover their vocations during their youth, I became interested in art in mid-life when I began to explore the textural qualities of three-dimensional pieces. The expressive possibilities in contemporary wicker fascinated me: the colors, the suppleness and diversity of the weaving elements, the feel and weight of the piece in my hands, the smoothly flowing shapes.

I began showing my artistic basketry at art shows in major cities in the East and in the Ohio Valley in 1990, which is also the year that I left my position as a university administrator to make my living as a full-time artist. While still living in Virginia I realized that I could go beyond traditional techniques and basket forms to a woven expression of that region’s landscape and heritage.  As an artist, that realization offered exciting possibilities to put my imagination to work.  

Since moving west I have stretched further on that artistic path. Now as I weave I seek to share my passion for the West: the undulating, vast expanse of land, the bold splashes of wildflowers against the muted backdrop of the desert, the solitude and the ever-present sage--twisted, rugged symbol of the struggle for life in the high plains.

One highlight in my career was learning that I was the recipient of the coveted Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship Award for 2002. The judges who selected my work noted not only its fine craftsmanship, but also its internal artistic cohesiveness. They indicated that it was the work of a mature artist with a clearly developed voice, or style. In March 2004, ART TALK magazine featured me in an article as an "Artist Worth Watching".

My pieces are constructed primarily of reed (rattan) because of its strength, long life and flexibility. To achieve the rich colors and blended palette that I use, I hand-dye the reed with Procion dyes. These are fiber dyes that chemically bond with the surface of the reed and provide vibrant, long-lasting, light-fast colors that I can shade to suit my needs. When finished, each piece also receives an ultra violet resistant coating for further protection against fading. In many of my creations I like to employ fabric that I've braided, natural fibers such as sugar palm, coconut or seagrass cordage and some native materials, such as sagebrush, willow, cottonwood or aspen, and antlers.

When you select one of my woven sculptures I am sharing with you my interpretation of an impression of the western landscape that has captured and intrigued me.

2010