I am a multidisciplinary artist living and working in New Orleans. Originally from Syracuse, NY I attended Oswego State University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. I concentrated on mixed media painting for most of my life until I taught myself to sew in 2006. My focus quickly shifted towards sewing and expanded into hand dyeing, surface design and weaving. Today, I practice all of the mediums both separately and combined in two and three dimensional art forms.

In 2006 I began routinely exhibiting and selling my work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I lived for my full time job as a Visual Merchandising Manager. I found a balance in pursuing gallery exhibits and selling at local juried art shows. In 2011 I moved to New Orleans where  I began selling work at local art shows while continuing work as a Visual Merchandiser. Immediately, I realized that New Orleans not only offered countless opportunities but that the support for artists was more abundant than any other place I had lived. Slowly, I phased out of my fifteen year career and became a full time artist in 2013.

Today I focus on selling  work at select local stores, festivals and in historic Jackson Square, where my work sells to international clientele. My current focus is a series of stitched paintings that combine watercolor and sewing on paper. There are several styles within this series, ranging from contemporary abstracts to loosely interpreted landscapes.

My current studio practice also focuses on a sculpture series that I began in 2019. I create autobiographical sculptures that translate distinct childhood memories into abstract symbolism using weaving, found objects and keepsake items. A piece from this series was shown in the Louisiana Contemporary at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in the Fall of 2019.

You can find all of my work online at jillshampine.com. A current list of events and retail locations can also be found on my website.

Describe your art in three words. Contemporary, Collage, Textured

Describe yourself in one word. Energetic

What do you love the most about creating art in your community? What particular part of your immediate environment, in your neighborhood specifically influences your work? I am constantly inspired by New Orleans. From the colorful shotgun houses to the Mississippi River, this city offers me beauty and grit at the same time- something that I believe is portrayed in my artwork. This city has so much energy that in turn fills me with life. At any given moment I can feel complete serenity, even at times of chaos, and just absorb the city and what she has to offer. Those breaths translate into a constant creative flow.

Describe your creative process. Are there any rituals or rites of passage you exercise before you begin a new piece?  I love early mornings. I have a whole ritual of things I do to start my day out on the right path to cultivate my creative process. As soon as I wake up it's coffee and writing.  The writing is a mind dump, clearing the way to focus on new work.  Meditation and movement are next.  I take long morning walks, mostly to the river and watch the sunrise if possible.  Then exercise and breakfast.  And finally, work.  For each medium that I work in there is a different creative process. Details of creative process are included with each piece on my website.

Where do you draw inspiration? I draw inspiration from personal experiences, New Orleans, music, books and nature. 

Who are your artistic influences or gurus? Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger are some of my artistic influences. They have all created artwork that makes my heart skip a beat. Thinking about their work inspires me to continuously push my boundaries.

In New Orleans, art and music go hand in hand. What type of music, band or song lyric best describes your work? Alternative

Where can we find you when you are not creating art? Playing outdoors.

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? I love fall.  It's quite different here than where I grew up but I'm still a sucker for any color on our trees.

What is something people don’t know about you? A fun fact. My left eye is half blue and half brown.

Website https://jillshampine.com/
*My website has a full list of current retail locations and events.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jillshampine/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JillShampine

I ship orders within one week. Tracking information will be e-mailed to client. Local pick up is available.