WATER13.05.13 — Category: —
On my residency I explored some new work with themes of water and the environment, along with continued insect pieces. I got to use Robert Spellman's microscope and looked at river water from Salida. The algae was fascinating to see up close. I was also reading Of Rock and Rivers- Seeking a Sense of Place in the American West by Ellen Wohl. New kozo pieces are emerging... Read More > Working with KOZO10.05.13 — Category: —
Over the past 12 years, I have focused on developing new techniques for working in contemporary ways with KOZO bark fiber. Kozo is a tough woody inner bark (bast fiber) that I soak, cook, and selectively open. I have found many ways to cast it in the wet stage that allow for some very unique qualities to emerge.I love how it returns to it's bark-like strength, while still appearing to be delicate. This year I will be teaching kozo workshops...
Read More > High school students learn about Environmental Art6.05.13 — Category: Environmental Art — During my Terraphilia Artist Residency I gave several talks at the Salida High School nearby on what it is like to work as artist with environmental ideas. To read more, click on the title of this post)
Read More > Views all around1.05.13 — Category: — The artist residency in Salida offers spectacular views in all directions! We had snow for a day, and now big thunderstorms on the way this week...
Read More > Terraphilia Artist Residency!29.04.13 — Category: —
What a great experience being at the Terraphilia Artist Residency in Salida Colorado! It's an eco-art residency and features cool housing and a wonderful community! The studio is in a... Read More > Speaking to an Environmental Design Seminar15.03.13 — Category: —
An exciting new cross-disciplinary class at CU called Environmental Design Seminar is is being taught by Pat Kociolek, Kathleen Kambic, and Paul Lander. They invited me to... Read More > Water in the West25.02.13 — Category: — I've been going to local meetings regarding the issues related to water in the west- particularly hydrolic fracturing. We are so lucky to have the Center of the American West- Patty Limerick is spearheading months of lectures on fracking- from all different points of view- educating us...
Read More > The Sound of the Beetles- Watch the video16.02.13 — Category: — WATCH THE VIDEO that is imbedded into the installation piece Bark Beetle Forest. It features very close up images of the beetles and gives a sweeping view of forests impacted by the beetles. The video was not designed to be watched separate from the art, but you can visualize it appearing on several video screens at once, with staggered start times, so that each screen has a different image. In the video you can listen to the sound of the beetles thanks to David Dunn, the sound ecologist who recorded the beetles underneath the bark! Listen to the unusual clicking sounds! That is how the beetles communicate. There are also whooshing sounds of fluids in the trees, and chewing noises. It's all recorded in the tree, and layered together to produce The Sound of Light in the Trees produced by The Acoustic Ecology Institute... Read More > Environmental Center in the mountains8.02.13 — Category: — It was great to hear from the Program Director at Cal-Wood Education Center in Nederland, Colorado. Their staff is interested in learning from the bark beetle art exhibition. I have a lot of ideas about how to deepen student's environmental understanding through art...
Read More > The Forest6.02.13 — Category: — Some people have seen my art exhibition and ask "Why doesn't your work show more of the doom and gloom about the loss of the forests?" That's an interesting question! This piece from my show is called Requiem for the Forest, and is a deep response to the forest that we are losing. It honors the spirit of the trees in the forest by showing just the living outer layer of the trees- an almost ghostly or spirit-filled presence of the forest that is vanishing in our lifetime. The three trees are presented in front of a wall of actual tree slabs that are from beetle killed trees, along with orange pine needles below. It is not doom and gloom here, but genuine grief. (to read more, click on the title of this post) Read More > Winter Inspiration1.02.13 — Category: —
I always think of this time of year as a time with more indoor hours looking out on the quiet beauty of the season. The striking blues of the snow, the inward time it seems to invite. We crave inspiration to carry us. It's a wonderous opening we feel when seeing works of art which expand our world and have a meaningful depth. It can lift your spirit and bring just the joy and thoughtfulness that is needed. I invite you to the final three days of my exhibition, Plants and Insects in a Time of Change. The art is a sensory experience, with sound, video, and scientific insights. Go see the unusual kozo art and perhaps even take a piece home with you, to have that inspiration as part of your life. The Firehouse Art Center is just 20 minutes from Boulder, one block off Main Street in downtown Longmont. It is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this week only, from noon to 5pm. Stay tuned for upcoming news of classes and art retreats. Read More > Why make art related to Bark Beetles?28.01.13 — Category: —
What first drew me to work with bark beetles in my art? The beautiful patterns they carve into the inner bark of the trees were compelling, and repelling at the same time. Visually, I like the linear patterns and painted many versions of these in the long airy panels I call Xylem and Phloem. Conceptually, I have to recognize that these channels in the bark represent the end of life of the tree. I began to reading and talking to scientists who were studying the beetles... Click on the title of the post to see more... Read More > Bark Beetles at Climate Change Congress - New Zealand25.01.13 — Category: — CU Professor of BioGeography and Conservation, Tom Veblen, travelled to New Zealand to present a talk at a Climate Change conference, and included photos and information about Jill's bark beetle exhibition...
Read More > Bark Beetle Book23.01.13 — Category: —
As an artist working primarily with bark fiber, I don't often get a chance to do writing and design illustration. For this exhibition I wrote and illustrated a chapbook on the story of the bark beetles. It is available free to everyone. I designed... Read More > Beetle Film Night18.01.13 — Category: — Come to a fun night of short films related to the exhibition Plants and Insects in a Time of Change! We'll see videos from other contemporary artists who have been inspired by insects, and some short films on the latest research about bark beetles. To see...
Read More > Resources17.01.13 — Category: — Lots of information available at the exhibition for people wanting to know more about bark beetles and our forests. There are...
Read More > Opening night Live Motion Piece15.01.13 — Category: — It was a snowy night, and the gallery was packed, for the opening of the show and to see the Contemplative Dance Collective's Live Motion pieces! The science related to the show permeated all the pieces, and raised awareness about global warming and its effects close to home with the bark beetles in Colorado's forests. Here are a few images taken by photographer David Silver.
To see all the pictues, click on the title of this post! Read More > Bark Beetles and Colorado's Forests13.01.13 — Category: — I will be giving an Artist's Talk on Saturday January 19th at 7PM, and will also be screening six short films - all about insects. It will be a mix of films about Colorado's forests, the mountain pine bark beetles, and some films about interesting things contemporary artists are doing with insects! Don't miss it! The talk is in conjunction with my exhibition Plants and Insects in a Time of Change which opened Friday night. An exciting mix of art lovers and scientists attended the show. The Contemplative Dance Collective captivated eveyone with their movement and presence. The new video created for an installation piece in the show features bark beetles in action, and how they've affected Colorado's forests. I hope you will have a chance to see the work in person. The Firehouse Art Center in Longmont Colorado is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Noon to 5PM through February 3rd. It is at 4th and Coffman, just a block off Main Street.
To see the whole blog post click on the title More Blog Posts >
Read More > Exhibition Opening January 201313.01.13 — Category: —
Plants and Insects in a Time of Change NEW WORK BY JILL POWERS January 11 to February 3 2013 ARTIST TALK AND FILM NIGHT JAN 19TH 7PM FIREHOUSE ART CENTER, 4TH AND COFFMAN LONGMONT, COLORADO Jill’s art explores the mysteries and complexities of insect life, raising our awareness about the delicate ecosystems that make life on earth viable for all of us. Climate change has affected even the smallest winged creatures on the planet, and their lives have a large scale impact on our own. This exhibition features work about climate change and insects, and explores the role of pine bark beetles in the huge changes happening in Colorado’s forests. Jill’s sculptural and installation art is entirely made from a sustainably grown inner bark called Kozo. Installation pieces incorporate sound and video. Read More > 21.12.12 — Category: —
The Solstice marks the celestial point of greatest darkness, and the beginning of the return of the light, minute by minute, earlier each night. I look forward to this transformation! EXHIBITION Please mark JANUARY 11th from 6 to 9pm in your new 2013 calendar for the opening to my new exhibition at the Firehouse Art Center in Longmont Colorado(4th & Coffman). The new work is Plants and Insects in a Changing World. Pieces include installation and sound. A Live Motion piece by members of the Contemplative Dance Collective will happen during the opening. To see the whole blog post click on Solstice Greetings Read More > The Latest News on Bark Beetles15.10.12 — Category: — Come hear Jeff Mitton and Scott Ferrenberg talk about their research with the Mountain Pine Beetle. Dr Mitton is a professor in Evolutionary Biology at CU and has been studying the progress of the forests. "The current epidemic of mountain pine beetle is an order of magnitude larger than any previously recorded". Read More > Yucca Seed Harvest Time5.10.12 — Category: —
Snow this morning! Such an early autumn season this year! It is time for harvesting seed pods. I was out among the ridges north of Lyons, Colorado yesterday, collecting some yucca pods for their seeds. more....... Read More > Studio explorations7.08.12 — Category: —
Read More > An artist's Reading and Research on Bark Beetles!24.07.12 — Category: —
This is one the books at my bedside! Fascinating reading about the story of what is happening in western forests from Mexico all the way up through Canada. I've been doing a lot of research on this subject... click on the post title to learn more Read More > Grounding in the foothills10.07.12 — Category: —
Read More > Forest Devastation16.06.12 — Category: —
Read More > Insects in International Fiber Philadelphia5.04.12 — Category: —
Read More > Insects, Kozo, and Climate Change and other news from the studio....31.01.12 — Category: Newsletter —
The Small Winged Life is the new installation art piece I've been working on for a year, which will debut this month at the International Fiber Biennial at Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia. As an artist, I am making this piece to explore the mysteries and complexities of insect life, and to raise awareness about the delicate ecosystems that make life on earth viable for all of us. I made over 200 insects out of kozo fiber, seed pods, and many mixed media natural processes and materials. The insects are mounted on entomology pins and flow across the wall in patterns. "Insects are the little things that run the world." Biologist E.O. Wilson "Our planet's essential functions would surely collapse without them...The vast majority of insects are inconsquential to our personal lives, but of critical importance to humanity as a whole " -Kaufman's Field Guide to Insects of North America For more on the insect exhibition, and news of upcoming openings, classes, and events, click on the title of this blog to get the full story. Read More > Sneak Preview!14.12.11 — Category: — I've been working on an installation piece for the last six months, related to Climate Change. The piece has led me to so many resources and information that I find fascinating. Here is a sneak preview of one small element of the coming piece. (It's made from a seed pod I found in my friend Eve's garden, and has a skin of gut and salt, creating a textured surface that I love.) It is a section of one element, out of hundreds in the installation. Stay tuned for the unveiling of this piece in January! Read More > December Studio Classes17.11.11 — Category: Newsletter —
Treat yourself to a day of inspired creative explorations. A selection of unique explorations with natural materials. Click on the blog title for details, or go to the Classes page.
Read More > Open Studios weekend2.10.11 — Category: —
Open Studios began yesterday with a beautiful autumn skies, and my studio was packed all day. Lots of inspiration and conversation, good sales, interest in upcoming workshops, and connections for the future. I am showing new floating panels, two new collections of wall pieces, the finished silkworm pieces, jewelry, and figures of women. Hope to see you here today, or next weekend. I'm open from noon to six pm, Saturday and Sunday. Read More > A glimpse into the studio...24.09.11 — Category: Newsletter — Why is it so inspiring to visit an artist’s studio? The fresh work, the personal experience, seeing how they live their art, the poetry of their collections..... it’s a breath of vitality, depth, and connection.
My studio is Open the next two weekends- October 1 & 2, and October 8 & 9 Open from Noon to Six Come visit! 1702 Sumac Ave, Boulder 80304 Read More > Summer delights....24.06.11 — Category: Newsletter —
Read More > The story of the silk chamber pieces24.05.11 — Category: Silkworms —
Read More > 29.04.11 — Category: — Read More > 22.04.11 — Category: — Native Alaskan art form! See full blog post Read More > Cloud Chamber for Japan20.03.11 — Category: — JOIN ME IN HELPING THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN JAPAN PLACE YOUR BID TO PURCHASE CLOUD CHAMBER ALL PROCEEDS GO TO RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF IN JAPAN
Read More > Experimentation with Design7.03.11 — Category: Cocoon Art —
Read More > Young silkworms28.02.11 — Category: Silkworms —
Read More > Fiberarts Magazine visits the studio27.02.11 — Category: —
Read More > Laying eggs!27.03.10 — Category: Silkworms — Comment The females lay hundreds of eggs in a few hours. The beautiful yellow eggs will...
Read More > Mating! The silk moths find each other22.03.10 — Category: Silkworms — Comment The silk moths rest a few moments, and then the female begins scenting for a mate. The male senses her with his large antennae, and buzzes around until he finds her....
Read More > The Silk Moth Arrives17.03.10 — Category: Silkworms — Comment After a few minutes of rest from the struggle of emerging, the silk moth's wings are pumped fully and the beautiful creamy white moth looks around the world for the fist time....
Read More > Emerging from the cocoon!12.03.10 — Category: Cocoon Art — Comment These moths are just emerging from their cocoons.....
Read More > stages of my silkworms' lives9.03.10 — Category: Cocoon Art — Comment Some of the silkworms are almost ready to spin, and others are in the three day process of spinning! Read More > Cocoon collaboration4.03.10 — Category: Cocoon Art — Comment The silkworms spin their cocoons in a space that I created for them out of bark fiber...
Read More > Spinning Silk Cocoons15.11.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment
Read More > Full of liquid silk!8.11.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment
Read More > New Skin3.11.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment
Read More > silkworms growing...25.10.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment
Read More > Mulberry leaves!21.10.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment Read More > The Adventure has begun!13.10.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment
Read More > Open Studios 200926.09.09 — Category: News — Comment
Read More > Metamorphosis24.09.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment [2]
Read More > Welcome!24.09.09 — Category: Silkworms — Comment [1]
Read More > verification test24.09.09 — Category: — Read More > | ABOUT Jill Powers is a contemporary fiber artist living in Boulder, CO. She experiments with many natural media and processes. She has often raised silkworms in her art studio for collaborations.
LINKS Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia National Paper Makers Organization- The Friends of Dard Hunter Naropa University Visual Arts, Boulder, CO
RECENT POSTSWATER Working with KOZO High school students learn about Environmental Art Views all around Terraphilia Artist Residency! Speaking to an Environmental Design Seminar Water in the West The Sound of the Beetles- Watch the video Environmental Center in the mountains The Forest CATEGORIES |
Photo by Cynda Green
However, after 8 months of reading about bark beetles form all angles of this complex issue, I find....
My studio tables are often filled with materials and pieces in progress from three or four different projects. Right now I am working on pieces for an upcoming show related to insects and climate change.
Hiking up the first foothill along the front range of the Rockies, I can see the mountains not far off. The yucca and sage are everywhere. The prairie dogs call out their sharp barks.
Find the gems of summer. Enjoy a 
You are invited to the talk at the Jane Sauer Gallery at 730 Canyon Road in Santa Fe on Sunday June 5th at 1PM. Come hear the story of this enchanting work.
The traditional arts of silk and kozo fiber have been the foundation for my experimental work, and I owe a great debt to papermakers and textile artists in JAPAN. When I read the following message,
The adventure has begun!
You are invited to visit me in my studio this fall during the 2009 Open Studios Tour...
Raising silk involves a beautiful journey into the insect world...