Bay Fibers Studio



Bay Fibers Studio

About The Artist

Eric Jackson • Leonardtown, MD
Fiber & Textiles • WHOLESALE AVAILABLE • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

I am a professional fiber artist exploring a connection to the water and wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic region. As an artist and avid outdoorsman, the majority of my work takes the form of wildlife illustrations, which are hand-crafted on cotton and linen fibers. My batik practice uses a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques and materials. The process is capped off using low immersion dye baths which are mixed from water samples I collect from Chesapeake rivers.



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

My work is 100% immersion dyed batik on cotton and linen fiber. Each piece is executed through multiple iterations of a process which includes a layer of wax and an immersion dye bath. After many layers have been applied, the wax is removed from the piece, leaving the final image imbedded in the fibers of the artwork. Each piece is stretched, mounted and sealed on an ACM (aluminum) panel with a UV varnish.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

I appreciate being able to work in an art form relying on deeply traditional techniques, but am able to approach my medium with a very contemporary aesthetic. Throughout my years as a batik artist, I've come to realize that there just isn't anyone else making work like mine. I'm driven by the fact that I'm creating something wholly unique, which no one else in the world is able to provide to a collector of fine craft.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

My work combines traditional subject matter with a non-traditional approach to execution. The result is work which feels very familiar to audiences, but also feels very contemporary in its aesthetic. Quite simply, the trademark style of my work creates a lasting memory. Once you've seen my work it becomes immediately recognizable in the future, with a wholly unique style and appearance. My pieces are also conversation starters which engage viewers in asking questions about how each piece was made. Those conversations are deepened through an understanding of how the unique physical elements of each piece take shape over a lengthy and iterative process. At the same time, each piece relates a story of a moment in time out on the water. To cap it all off, the creation process uses dye baths which are made using water collected from rivers and streams across the Chesapeake Bay.