My name is Jennifer Lara Yakes and I live in Springfield, Il (originally hail from Sacramento, CA!!)with my son, Jude, and my boyfriend, Darrell. I just recently earned my BFA from the University of Illinois- a HUGE goal achieved for me. My hobbies include (other than drawing, painting, sculpting, etc) traveling, reading senseless romance novels and bathroom readers, long lazy days of couch-sitting with the windows open, eating chocolate before bed, lying in bed all day with my boys, bubble baths with headphones (so everyone can hear me sing but me), and morning coffee with friends over the phone or in person. That all makes me sound really lazy...My childhood inspires me to travel. My children inspire me to have fun and enjoy every moment. I make artwork to heal myself, inspire others, and deal with my inner thoughts about the world around me. My work usually, and more increasingly lately, has been about human beings. People are the most interesting machine to me- the most intricate web of social connection on the planet. People have been the subject of every drawing, sculpture, or painting i've ever done, and I think that stems from my nomadic childhood and practicing the art of being an observer of people I don't know. I have and will spend my life trying to figure other people out (as most others do) and my art is a way of finding a deeper connection for me with the relationships i have with people compared to the schematically wired anatomy of the body. I hope my work is appreciated for its aesthetic value as well as the deeper connections it may hold to one's own mental, physical, and social being.
