About

Artist Statement:

My artwork is an expression of curiosity and wonder with nature and how humans relate to the land. I feel a deep connection with the natural world and am most “at home” when I am outdoors. I am particularly interested in nature’s place within our memories, myths, folklore, rituals, and spiritual traditions, both on a personal scale and also across generations and cultures. Human identity is inseparable from the environment and I am intrigued by the multitude of ways this relationship manifests in our lives.

When I make artwork, I feel like I am in conversation with the creators and explorers that came before me —the ones who inspire me and to whom I feel a deep connection. These are the naturalists, botanists, explorers, poets, children’s illustrators, soul searchers, story-keepers — people like Wendell Berry, Beatrix Potter, Rachel Carson, Mary Oliver, Rachel Peden, and Thomas Merton. I am also influenced by the Tao and Buddhist traditions of Japan and China, particularly the concepts of haiku, wabi sabi and bonsai (or the representation of the universe in a single plant). I further draw inspirations from quilters, gardeners, weavers, embroiderers, woodworkers, farmers, and craftsmen of all sorts — all the women and men who pour their ingenuity and creative energy into daily life, bringing art into the “ordinary” and finding sacredness in the everyday.  

I’m continuing the dialogue with those who came before.

They passed me the torch of curiosity and awe. I feel strengthened by their kinship, and guided by their wisdom as I walk my own segment of the creative path. Theirs is the secret for how to live a good life — a life that is engaging, fruitful, and illuminating…

…and certainly never boring — not in the least. 

Biography:

Jacque Oman Clinton is a professional artist and illustrator living in Minnesota with her husband and two cats. She graduated from Carleton College in 2011 with a degree in Studio Art. Her colorful work is an expression of wonder for nature, folklore, memory, intergenerational storytelling, spiritual wisdom, and the way humans relate to and live on the land.