Artist Profile: Jennifer Mygatt Tatum
Meet Jennifer Mygatt Tatum , one of Saffron’s favorite Sonoma County-based visual artists. Jennifer is warm and smart and kind and very talented. On Saturday, July 27, we’ll host a special afternoon at the Watershed First Street Gallery to meet Jennifer and take a tour of her current exhibition with her.
She shares that , “My diverse art practice spans sculpture, printmaking, painting, mosaics, and large-scale public art, using materials such as wood, wire, clay, glass, metal and ink.”
Jennifer is well known for her Wandering Women motif, which she interprets through various mediums. Though the Wandering Women is a central theme, her work more broadly explores the human experience and the world that summons and surrounds us.
In recent years, Tatum has delved into Mokulito printmaking techniques - a process beginning with inspiration from the woods. Photographs are captured and referenced to create large-scale graphite drawings that represent the essence of being in the forest. These drawings are then interpreted onto wood using Mokulito techniques, carved, and printed into a small series of up to four prints. Tatum's work reflects a balance of discipline She says, “My work strikes a balance between discipline and gesture, which continues to fuel and evolve her artistic journey.
In June 2023, Tatum embarked on a self-driven, month-long artist retreat by the sea in Denmark. Immersed in the beauty of the neighboring forests and sea, she found solace and inspiration and began a new collection titled Essence of Place.
And again, walking the trails of burnt California forests she found a paradoxical scene. Charred remnants juxtaposed against tender green shoots. It seems amidst the ashes life persists. Renewal emerges and it plants a hopeful narrative of rejuvenation.
So join us on June 22nd, from 4 to 7 pm for Art+Wine at The Watershed 1st Street Gallery. This exhibition will run thru summer’s Labor Day. Come meet artist, Jennifer Mygatt Tatum, as part of our ongoing exposure to the arts in this historic and elegant Petaluma venue.
