FEATURED SELLER - DIANA JAHNS

Tell us a bit about yourself

My aesthetic combines elements of east and west, no doubt due to my heritage. My mother was born in Japan. My Oregon-born father met her there. They married and settled in California.

I am juggling four etsy shops...! I am doing this so that each shop will have a single focus. And, that's because I go in so many directions. For nearly 25 years I wove fabric on a wooden handloom and then cut and sewed the fabric into handmade clothing. I sold the clothing in boutiques and fine craft stores, like Freehand in Los Angeles and Julie's in New York. After a break of several years, I am sewing again and love it! Currently, I am showing my handmade clothing in a retrospective exhibit, along with other fine artists from the 80s, at Freehand. I am not showing this work on etsy for now, but may sometime in the future. Meanwhile, my four etsy shops are devoted to art and photography. I make both realism and abstract or non-objective. I started early in life in the direction of painting, much later picking up photography. Sewing and weaving are a passionate side-trip. All the art forms inform the others.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I love to cook and take trips out of town. I enjoy all kinds of music. I like to see what other artists are doing.

Time with family and friends is precious time.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Through my heart.

What does handmade mean to you?
A beautiful way of connecting.

Who has been most influential in your craft?
My family: mom, dad, brother, grandmother, son and friends. And, facebook friends, too.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?
Very young. I think I connected to creative energy even before I could articulate it. My grandmother was an artist, so I had her footsteps to follow.

 How would you describe your creative process?
"Creativity is like driving a car at night," said E. L. Doctorow. "You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
This is my favorite way of explaining how I feel when I am making art.

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