JACQUELINE DECKER
 

Jacqueline Decker has been illustrating and designing products for more than 15 years, as both an award-wining children's book illustrator and software designer. She now turns those talents to creating quilting fabric exclusively for RJR. Each collection comes alive with charming characters, beautiful flora and fauna and a wonderful sense of whimsy.

Visiting Jackie's home and studio is like stepping into one of her paintings. Nestled in the beautiful Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut, she lives in a former church that she and her husband restored to its original grace. "I live in the same village where I grew up. We lived across the street from the church I attended with my grandmother — the same church my husband and I turned into our home. Throughout our home, we have on display, quilts, hand-stitched by my great-grandmother. My childhood never feels far away, and I try to weave that sense of warmth, wonder, humor and nature into all my artwork. My home and its surroundings hold a special place in my heart."

Jacqueline's passion for the comfort and warmth of home is indeed reflected in the artwork she creates, which is rich with detail, while still maintaining a clean, crisp sensibility. An avid gardener, Jackie is noted for her intricate drawings of plant life and unique use of vines, leaves, flowers and trees.

Jackie spends most days in her studio — located in the choir loft of the church where she resides, still graced by the original stained-glass windows. Jackie, who received her MFA in illustration from University of Hartford in 2009, teaches illustration at a community college. It's that willingness to share that makes her illustrations accessible to both the young and the young at heart.

Reflecting upon her artwork, Jacqueline says, "Growing up an only child, my days were filled with time spent outdoors, trying to tame chipmunks or building fairy houses. I still visit my old hideouts under trees to conjure up my childhood imagination and then try to capture it through illustration. I hope quilters will find my designs lively and charming." Certainly, her eight-year-old son, Graham, helps keep her in the imaginative perspective children have on the world around them.