Jamie Fingal: A Creative Stroll Through Fullerton Arboretum

By Textile & Terrain Journal

In May 2012, textile artist Jamie Fingal took a break from the studio to seek inspiration among the trees, flowers, and winding paths of the Fullerton Arboretum — a 26-acre botanical oasis in Southern California. In her blog post "A Day at the Fullerton Arboretum", she documented a day filled with natural wonder, texture, and unexpected color — all of which serve as recurring themes in her art.joyourself

Nature as Design Mentor

Fingal’s camera lens captured towering palms, leafy vines, stone-lined paths, and flowers in riotous bloom — each image a catalog of pattern and palette. She highlighted not just the beauty of the plants, but the way light and shadow played across surfaces — observations that regularly make their way into her quilts.mytrannycams

For an artist so deeply rooted in bold visual storytelling, the arboretum was more than a walk through nature — it was a sensory sketchbook.

Finding Texture in the Wild

Throughout the post, Fingal expressed particular interest in the contrasting forms of foliage and bark. These textures — rough, smooth, clustered, or spiral — echoed the same tactile sensibilities she explores through fabric, thread, and stitching. Even decaying leaves and dried blossoms offered inspiration for shape and structure.facial abuse

Fingal reminded her readers that creativity doesn’t always begin with a blank canvas — sometimes, it begins with looking more closely at what’s already around us.

A Quiet Call to Artists

“Take a walk,” her post seemed to say. “Open your eyes. Art is everywhere.” While many think of inspiration as something found in books or galleries, Fingal shows us that nature — in its organic lines, imperfect symmetry, and seasonal rhythm — can be the greatest teacher of all.webcam strip

Explore More

To explore Jamie Fingal’s full post and photos from her visit to the arboretum, visit:
Jamie Fingal Designs