My name is Jennifer Carson, and I was born in Ann Arbor, MI. I have always been a dreamer and the characters in my imagination longed to be created. As a senior in high school I received a full scholarship to Washtenaw Community College, and knowing that an education was costly, and being a young graduate (seventeen), I decided to accept it, and put off going to art school. When I was nineteen I had my first son with my high-school sweetheart, and at twenty we were married. Any plans for art school were again, put off. In the next seven years, three more children were added to our brood, and my desire to create something other than children had been growing and growing, until I could think of nothing else. I began painting murals in children’s rooms, starting with my own. Then I wanted to create the bedding, so I learned to sew—something I had fought my mom tooth and nail over as a teenager. As my children got older and more independent, I decided to go back to the community college I had graduated from and take some more art classes. I learned to use soft pastels, loving how the colors overlapped and made each layer richer, but with four children in the house--it was a bit messy. Watercolor was the next step and I found a bit of success, but I still craved something more tangible. After three semesters of life drawing, I still felt that something was missing in my art and I was at a standstill, not knowing which way to go. I had always loved fabric and textures and figuring out how things were put together, so I slowly moved into the world of art dolls. I began teaching myself how to design bodies, starting with a simple dragon with only two feet and constantly reaching for a more complex form. In the beginning I was painting the features onto the dolls with acrylic paint. Then my high-school art teacher showed me how to use a felting needle. That was it, the next piece of the puzzle I needed to move forward with my work. Now I am teaching others the magic of a felting needle and love to see the smiles that my creations bring to people’s faces. A driving force in my own work has always been the work of Jim Henson and the wonderful artists that were lucky enough to work with him. It is my sincere desire that one day I am lucky enough to work with his son Brian, who continues his vision.

Artists Statement...

I strive to create a creature that speaks to the beholder on a special level. I endeavor to remind people of the magic and possibility we felt as children.

Visitiors

If you would like to link to me, please use one of these link banners below. Thanks!