Meet The Maker: Jackie LeTarte

If you know the work of this months featured artist, a few adjectives may come to mind. Color and pattern would be at the forefront, no doubt. When Molly and I first started Veer, Jackie was in our first handful of artists that we stocked, but I've known Jackie now for about a decade and in that time I've watched her cycle through a myriad of creative media. I don't think she'd object to me saying that when she picks up a new craft hobby, she becomes OBSESSED...bordering mania...until the next time she tries something new. My creative process is similar and makes me feel kindred to the art beast in her. Call it eclectic, call it ADHD, but whatever you call it, the thread of Jackie's style remains true to everything she makes under the umbrella of Spring St. Design Studio. Let's dive into pattern and color, shall we?

Tell us a little about Spring St. Design: What do you make? What led you to creating your products?

The last few years have been mostly clay earrings and punch needle textiles, but lately I’ve been focused on pattern design, with an eye towards surfaces such as dresses, bags, pillows, etc. Print on demand has opened up a new world of possibilities for artists and designers.

What do you like most about design?

It’s completely meditative; I love being completely absorbed in the task at hand, not thinking about the past or the future, just being present in the moment.

What inspires you?

Op art, textile art, Teklan, Marimekko, Dusen Dusen, a wicked color palette, Barragan, Neutra, Tilda Swinton. Ask tomorrow and it may be a different list.

You have explored a lot of creative mediums...jewelry, miniatures and block printing to name a few, but are there any materials that you have not worked with but would like to try?

I recently dove into weaving and will try ceramics one day, but I’m too obsessive for another time-consuming and spendy venture right now.

Do you have a dream project that you would like to realize someday?

I’d just love to finish the dollhouse I’ve sporadically worked on for the last eight years or so. 

What have you learned about yourself from making art?

I realized how much negative self-talk was still in me, and that has (mostly) dissipated due to making lots of ugly things, and learning to laugh and move on to the next. The pure joy of bringing something new into the world that didn’t exist before, whether ugly, pretty, or meh, is a joy no matter the outcome.

How did you develop your current style and how has it changed with time?

I’m a child of the Eighties; my fundamental aesthetic is bright, loud, and bold. I came of age in the Nineties though, and definitely have that part of me that is drawn to an uber-minimal, androgynous style. I tend to cycle back and forth depending on the season and/or mood.

Dogs or cats?

Cats

Random fact about yourself?

I found a dead body washed up on the beach when I was in 6th grade.

And I'm just gonna leave it at that! lol.