Free Radical Fiber Arts

06/01/2026

I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about the difference between seeing something clearly… and sensing it through memory.

This detail is from an emerging fiber-integrated oil painting titled 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙗𝙪𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙧.

What interests me most in these newer works is not simply depicting a subject, but allowing forms, atmosphere, and emotional presence to emerge gradually through layers of color, gesture, fiber, and partially remembered shape.

Some areas remain soft and unresolved. Others quietly begin surfacing over time.

I’m becoming increasingly interested in artwork that invites lingering—that asks the viewer to return, look again, and discover something they didn’t notice the first time.

05/28/2026

One of the things I’ve been exploring in 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧 is the idea of echoes repeating throughout a piece in different forms.

Some flowers remain dimensional and fully present through fiber and texture, while others dissolve back into the painted surface—appearing almost like memories, impressions, or fragments resurfacing over time.

I’ve become increasingly interested in this space between what is clearly seen and what is only partially remembered.

The longer I work on these pieces, the more I find myself layering repeated shapes, colors, and gestures throughout the surface so that different areas begin quietly speaking to one another.

Sometimes the details reveal themselves immediately.

Sometimes they only begin emerging after you’ve spent time with the work.

05/18/2026

Lately I’ve become increasingly interested in artwork that reveals itself slowly.

Not all at once.
Not immediately understood.

But gradually—through texture, atmosphere, layering, memory, and return.

This detail is from another emerging fiber-integrated oil painting currently developing in the studio, *𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙗𝙪𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙧*.

What interests me most right now is the space between presence and disappearance… the way forms, memories, and emotional impressions can surface only partially, like echoes that continue shifting over time.

The fiber itself has also begun changing roles within the work. Instead of sitting on top of the painting, it increasingly feels as though the fiber is emerging from within the atmosphere of the piece itself.

I’m finding that the longer I live with these works, the more they continue unfolding for me too.

I think I’m becoming more interested in emotional atmosphere than direct depiction

05/14/2026

Over the past several months, something new has been quietly emerging in the studio.

Following my artist residency in France, I found myself increasingly drawn toward creating work that feels partially remembered—layered with atmosphere, movement, texture, and echoes that slowly reveal themselves over time.

In these newer 𝗳𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿-𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, the fiber no longer feels added onto the surface. Instead, it begins emerging naturally from within the painted world itself.

This piece, 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧, is one of the first works where that shift fully began to happen for me.

The longer I worked on it, the more I found myself embedding traces of flowers, movement, memory, and partially hidden forms throughout the surface—details that continue unfolding the longer you spend with them.

I’ve become increasingly interested in creating artwork that invites slow looking and ongoing discovery rather than a single quick glance.

Have you ever experienced a piece of art that kept revealing more over time?

05/05/2026

Vote for me! Check out my fiber-integrated oil paintings!

https://peoplesartist.org/2026/jennifer-myka

I Create Art To Honor The Individuality Of Animals And Fibers, Weaving Memory, Nature, And Meaning Into Pieces That Reconnect Us To Wonder.

04/01/2026

I create fiber-integrated oil paintings where dimensional fibers emerge from the painted surface.

Much of the material comes from animals I have raised and known, including Suri alpaca, Teeswater wool, and mohair. Each brings its own character and history into the work.

The fibers are not simply added. They become part of the structure, shifting the piece between image and object, surface and form.

This work sits at the intersection of painting, fiber, and lived experience, rooted in material, memory, and connection to the natural world.

Each fiber holds a memory

03/16/2026

💜 One of the unexpected gifts of my artist residency at Château de Cerisay was the community of artists gathered there. 💜

Everyone arrived with their own materials, questions, and creative directions but the shared focus made the work deepen for all of us.

💜 I’m still carrying that energy back into the studio! 💜

03/08/2026

See you soon in Tennessee! Check out Jennifer Myka’s workshops!

2026 is the 18th year of the Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival!! Mark your calendars!!!March 27-28, 2026Vendor Hours:Friday : 9AM – 4PMSaturday : 9AM – 4PM Workshop Registration is now open! Have we got the workshops for you!  We have so many exciting classes this year, including many that are br...

02/13/2026

💜 Walking into Château de Cerisay during my Atelier AIR (Artist-In-Residence)! 💜

There’s something about crossing a literal threshold that changes you.

Different place.
Same listening.
New work beginning! 😊💜

Still can’t believe I’m in this amazing castle from the 1100’s to make art!!!!

02/07/2026

I’m in France for the next two weeks as part of the Atelier Artist-in-Residence program, selected from hundreds of applicants from over 90 countries.

This time is a pause for depth, research, and making—before the next body of work.

For now, I’m following the threads.

atelierair