a little bit about me

silkweed circle is a container for the work. i’m jess reigle, and what you see here are the fruits of my projects.

i’m happy you stopped by.

in the way of formal introductions, i’m jess reigle (pronouns are they/she).

weaving my intersecting identities is what helped me launch silkweed circle. silkweed is a nickname for my favorite plant that grows happily on my homelands, common milkweed. the seeds are snugly and beautifully packed into the large eye-shaped seed pod and have luscious silk-like tails that carry them on the wind when the pod is dry and ready to open. i come from unceded Nakota territory, and currently live and work on unceded Kaw, Osage and Oceti Sakowin lands.

my art practice began in early childhood, and has been a constant since. i am not formally trained, and proud of it! it is my belief that this has helped me to value the things i create which are seen as “craft” and not separate them from what might be called “fine art”. my aesthetic is informed by my commitment to doing things with my own hands, and i use digital media as little as possible. i’m very pleased to call myself a folk artist, and am honored by sharing space with the others whose work is categorized in that way. i like to work with themes of nature, queerness, pleasure, rural life, and magic.

in self-study for over 15 years, i have walked the healer’s path. learning about medicinal plants and mushrooms, understanding our physical and spiritual bodies, and a dedicated practice in the kitchen has kept me busy and curious. i infuse much of my creative process with what i’ve learned.

some of my teachers (and places i’ve taken classes) // places i’ve shown my artwork