Jennifer Mygatt Tatum, a Sonoma County based visual artist, explores the introspection found in nature, delving into solitude’s revelations and our innate wisdom. Her signature motif, the Wandering Women, transcends gender, embodying the human experience within the natural world.

She uses clay to make her River Rock Bowls. Each bowl is meticulously formed over a single river rock from the American River, chosen carefully, pondering the journey of the rock, potentially spanning over 100 million years to reach its current, tumbled state.

With Mokulito Printmaking, she draws inspiration from woodland textures, translating them into large-scale graphite drawings. These drawings inform the creation of Mokulito prints, carved and printed onto wood, then enhanced with stains and paints.

In 2023, during a 30-day retreat in Denmark, titled “Essence of Place,” Jennifer immersed herself in the coastal forests, resulting in a series of five water-soluble graphite pieces. This experience, balancing discipline with spontaneity, enriches her ongoing artistic journey.

Her diverse practice spans sculpture, printmaking, painting, mosaics, and large-scale public art, seamlessly integrating mediums like wood, wire, clay, glass, paint and ink to inspire and inform one another.

Among many themes in my artistic journey I’ve been exploring two very different art forms, sculpture/hand building River Rock Bowls, and wood lithography/Mokulito Wood Blocks and prints.

Each bowl I create is a labor of love, molded over river rocks from the American River. As I shape them, I am reminded of the vast expanse of time that has weathered these stones, spanning millions of years. The impressions left by these ancient rocks on the interior of the bowls serve as tangible connections to the river’s enduring presence. With each graceful curve I invite viewers to join me in contemplating life’s fleeting moments and the enduring beauty of nature.

Through my exploration of Mokulito Wood Blocks, I merge lithography principles with the natural texture of wood. Each print begins as a meticulously carved wood block, evolving into captivating artworks within my body of work. With each piece I invite audiences to embark on a visual journey, where technique and nature converge to inspire moments of awe and introspection.