The art of Jacqueline Jefferies
Opulent, colorful, fine craftsmanship

A recent visit to the artist’s home and studio gives one a clear picture of Jackie Jefferies’ energy and prodigious output. She is gracious and welcoming, a clear-eyed eccentric with a soft pink streak in her long blonde hair piled up to reveal large dangling earrings of twisted wire and earth tone glass beads.

Walking into Jackie’s Pasadena, California home/studio, you are greeted with the sweet smell of incense, a sea of multi-colored and randomly-sized carpets, artwork on every wall, and necklaces, earrings and bracelets hanging on anything stationary – even her Stairmaster. Every square inch of her living and work space is covered with color. Her exuberant personality, vivacious spirit and thirst for art is obvious from the moment you meet her. Soft jazz plays in the background. Her home is a soothing escape with plenty of whimsy. Every piece of art Jackie creates has a story that she readily shares. And this is hers….

Background

Jackie’s family moved from Sandusky, Ohio to Glendale, California when she was 3 ultimately settling in Tujunga several miles away. Her mother was a creative spirit, a writer of children’s books. Perhaps because the TV was rarely turned on, Jackie began drawing at the age of 5. Then working with fabric and thread her mother used in her own handmade projects, Jackie began to explore three-dimensional expression as well as painting on anything stationary.

Inspirations

Then at 19, not able to find the kind of lightweight but substantial earrings she favored. Jackie began making her own jewelry and even dabbled in fashion photo styling for a time developing a style all her own. While extremely versatile in her artistic expression, Jackie works primarily on beaded jewelry. Interestingly, as contemporary as the finished pieces are, inspiration is often drawn from other periods and cultures.

“I love the Tudor period…I read a lot of history books gathering the mood of that time.” But she also respects the work of contemporary artist Jean Michel Basquait and even Andy Warhol. Jackie is a renaissance woman herself often inspired by aboriginal work: “That detail, the beauty, the layers.”

“I like my jewelry to feel organic, sculptural. I’m not precise about angles and shapes. The jewelry moves with you…sways,” Jackie muses. The necklaces often appear random in construction…always tactile and very detailed…each a work of wearable art. None of it is fragile, however. “ I make all of the pieces to last…to be worn everyday…being as resilient as the wearer.”

Of her paintings, she actually prefers depicting animals…particularly dogs. “I love animal and worked with them for many years. I get into their personalities but add whimsy and frequently outrageous color to their portraits. When I was a kid I knew I wanted to be either an artist or a veterinarian. In my own way, I am combining those interests.”

Methods

“I admit readily that I am selfish with my time, “ says Jackie. Nearly every moment she’s at home she works on jewelry in her studio. Once urged to design what was “hot” with unsettling results, Jackie found it a reminder that she must stay true to her heart.

“Doing that which you absolutely believe in and love…that is the joy. An artist does not do their work for the money it might bring. It’s a lifetime of devotion to their craft. For me…it’s the making of it: The process of creation. And it’s persistence. You need to be obsessive and want to do the next good thing…something new.”

There will always be “something new” from Jackie Jefferies so check this site often. You are invited to begin your collecting and wearing of the next generation’s folk art.