Indianapolis-based artist and quilter Julian Jamaal Jones creates bold abstract quilts from drawings printed onto fabric. A self-taught quilter with roots in fashion photography, he sees his work as a reflection of himself. In this episode, Julian answers audience questions about colour, composition and breaking the rules, and celebrates the launch of Gesture, Colour, Quilt, Take Two’s first dedicated quilting course, now open for enrolment.
Rules are optional. Julian taught himself to quilt by studying traditional methods and then setting them aside. Hear how letting go of “doing it right” eased his anxiety and made room for a style that’s entirely his.
Emotion can become a mark. Responding to family photographs with gestural drawings can give you a practical bridge between what inspires you and what you make.
Composition is a skill you can build. A simple activity for beginners is to sketch your quilt on paper first, and photograph each layout as you rearrange pieces.
You decide when it’s done. Julian’s advice is simple: if it feels finished, it is. He also reminds you that rest is part of a sustainable creative practice.
Your voice is the point. Julian’s biggest hope for his students is that their work looks nothing like his. Hear why he believes confidence and pride in your work matter as much as technique.
During the live interview, we shared some images of Julian’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below.
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