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COCA Spotlight: Hat Tricks

Jennifer Haskins prefers to style herself in all black. The self-taught milliner painted streaks of metallic watercolor on her favorite hat to give the appearance of rust on its black, wool base. A dried rose…

Jennifer Haskins prefers to style herself in all black. The self-taught milliner painted streaks of metallic watercolor on her favorite hat to give the appearance of rust on its black, wool base. A dried rose from a special Valentine’s Day bouquet adorns the brim, completing the rugged, edgy look.

Haskins has turned to her fiber-art making as a therapeutic release during these turbulent times.

As the art program coordinator for the Tallahassee Senior Center, she is coming up with creative solutions for showcasing and sharing art while their physical space remains closed due to COVID-19. She recently launched the “Art Potpourri” online exhibit in hopes the virtual gallery will not only keep artists connected, but also provide motivation and inspiration.

“I talked to an instructor the other day who said it’s so hard right now to bring themselves to make any art and that’s the thing that would help,” says Haskins. “People who have been coming to the Center weekly for art classes, socializing, collaborating and sharing…that’s a huge piece that’s been taken away from them and it’s easy to fall into a routine where they’re not creating. It’s important to take the time to get yourself going.” 

Haskins lets her inquisitive spirit provide her drive with every new hat and sculpture. Her training in elementary and art education introduced her to printmaking, sculpture, drawing, ceramics and art history. She remains an adamant dabbler in many mediums, and her first art memories as a child were fostered by her father, a watercolorist. 

“I was using colored pencils for a report on Jupiter and he showed me how to layer and crosshatch,” recalls Haskins. “I don’t remember anything about Jupiter, but I do remember how to use those colored pencils and how amazed I was by those different techniques.” 

Haskins was always fond of building an art tool collection, which partly led her to hat-making. Six years ago, she started sewing hats, creating patterns and working with different fabrics and natural fibers. Eventually she pored over books and took on more advanced techniques, such as creating hats from one continuous piece of material. 

Haskins steams her wool to open up its fibers, then lays it on the wood-block form to style it into different shapes. She is fearless in her approach, painting an entire hat blue just to see what will happen, or sourcing chicken feathers from her backyard to add some embellishment. 

Read the rest of the story by visiting the Tallahassee Democrat

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