Artist Bio

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"I was first inspired to create tree branch mobiles by the fluttering shadows of leaves on an interior wall. I enjoy creating artworks that incorporate opposing aspects such as strong and fragile, or stillness and motion.

For my kinetic sculptures, I combine a variety of materials into personal interpretations of nature. I’ve devised my own techniques, constructing mobiles from various wire, silk fabric, plastic resin tubing, pipe cleaners, and other materials. The silk leaves and flowers are cut from my own drawings. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to capturing the delicate qualities of any botanical structure, and am above all describing my own emotional response to nature’s beauty.

Having focused on printmaking in college, I interned for a semester at Universal Limited Art Editions in New York. I earned my MFA in Fibers at Colorado State University, expanding my skills in soft-sculpture sewing, dyeing, and patternmaking. I’ve enjoyed working professionally under the business name Moon-Lily Silk Mobiles since 1999. My studio is in the basement of my home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Large-scale installations have been the most recent development and challenge for me."

In 2002, Jan's "Leaf Mobile" was a finalist for the prestigious NICHE Award, honoring excellence and innovation in American and Canadian craft. In 2010, her "Dogwood Branch Mobile" also competed for the award (announcements are pending). Since 1999 she has been the artist and owner of Moon-Lily Silk Mobiles, the name under which she created a line of popular kinetic sculptures sold in galleries, boutiques and museum stores throughout the U.S.