HeyJaredAn Artwork's Backstory
The Backstory is about my artwork, process, and my inspiration
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 5
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- Sep 11, 2026
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- Jul 5, 2026
Latest issues
How Big is the Mona Lisa? (opens the original)
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I have been thinking a great deal about scale lately. More than a decade ago when I first began working seriously as an art quilter I was given the advice to increase the size of my work because major art quilt exhibitions were designed for pieces with a big visual impact. Scale, I was told; plays an important role in whether a piece is selected by a juror.Part of this emphasis on the size of an artwork I believe comes from quilting’s connection to function. Quilts are often understood through f
A Culture at Risk? (opens the original)
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I’ve been thinking about books since reading Rose Horowitch’s article in The Atlantic, “The End of Reading Is Here.” Her wide-ranging examination of reading culture argues that the way we engage with written material has been radically altered by the information age.At first, that conclusion did not surprise me. But as I read more deeply, Horowitch’s demographic, historical, and practical evidence pointed toward a troubling pattern: society increasingly consumes information in small bites and ha
Something caught my eye (opens the original)
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While reading Michael James’s Substack article “Minding the Gap,” I came across a reference that brought back a vivid memory of a Lukas Samaras work in the Denver Art Museum’s collection. I remembered the way Samaras arranged silk tie fabrics in a radiating circle. From a distance, I saw what appeared to be an abstract painting; only when I moved closer did I realize that the surface was not paint but recycled fabric, skillfully arranged.I recognized Samaras’ name when I looked
Slow Looking (opens the original)
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Like many of you, I spent part of the summer traveling somewhere beautiful. Now I’m back home, easing into my regular routine while still trying to hold on to that slower summer rhythm. One of my favorite ways to do that is by reading. I save articles from other Substack writers and then settle in with them during lazy mornings on the patio, when I have time to linger instead of skim. Recently, one by Elif Shafak caught my attention. It was titled “The Heart Has Its Reasons, Which Reason Knows N
The Artist Statement (opens the original)
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Almost two years ago, on June 24, 2024, I wrote about political art and the tensions I felt while living in deeply red Utah. A few opening lines from that post pulled me into an unexpected rabbit hole with an acquaintance.Utah, in particular Southern Utah where I live, is MAGA territory. Not just traditional conservatives, but I would say a large number of those who support extreme positions on everything from gun rights to gay rights. I do not hold these beliefs and can’t put my mind around how
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