Happy Holidays!!

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

Warmest wishes & thanks to all!

~Jennifer

"Bolero I" 36"x32"

Mixed Media Painting On Wood Panel

©2009 Jennifer J L Jones

Always Already Group Exhibition, November 13-January 9 (Opening Reception: Nov. 20th 6-9pm)

Hunter Kirkland Contemporary Annual Show of New Work (Opening: Friday, October 16th, 2009 5 to 7 pm)

Epiphanies: Solo Exhibition at Stellers Gallery

Hope you can all make it to the opening reception of "Epiphanies", my new series of paintings about to debut at Stellers Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on August 28th. I'm looking forward to seeing you all there and sharing my work with you in person!!

Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture Exhibition

One of my latest paintings, "Silent Rapture" will be featured in the Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture exhibition curated by Front Forty Press. The opening reception is this Sunday, July 19th from 3-5pm. I hope those of you in the Chicago-land area will be able to come out to the opening and/or stop by Hyde Park Art Center to see this show in person before September 20th!

Thanks so much for your ongoing support of my work!

"Silent Rapture"

30"x30"

Mixed Media Painting on Wood Panel

© 2009 Jennifer J L Jones

Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture

Curated by Front Forty Press

July 19 – September 20, 2009

Exhibition Reception:

Sunday, July 19, 3 – 5pm

Gallery Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 10am – 8pm

Friday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm

Sunday: 12pm – 5pm

Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture, a curatorial survey by Front Forty Press offers a provocative look into the current trend of blurring the line between annihilation and bliss euphoria in

contemporary art, thought, and sound on view from July 19 – September 20, 2009 at the Hyde Park Art Center. This dynamic exhibition presents diverse and engaging imagery from more than twenty-five well respected local to international contemporary artists working in a variety of mediums.

The opposing ideas of destruction and transcendence fuels the range of expressions featured in Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture. At once intensely individual, the cross-selection of works also express larger cultural concerns. Ranging from the religious, scientific, sensual, and didactic, the diverse themes of the exhibition punctuate the relevance and malleability of such topics in contemporary discourse. Artists participating in the exhibition include: Ricky Allman, Oksana Badrak, Hisham Akira Bharoocha, Kelly Barrie, Sebastiaan Bremer, Christopher Bucklow, Eduardo DeSoignie, Jon Elliot, Lora Fosberg, Till Gerhard, Julie Heffernan, Cody Hudson,

Jennifer J.L. Jones, Ellen Kooi, Mark McGinnis, Julie Mehretu, David Opdyke, Emilio Perez, John Pranica, Jean- Pierre Roy, Ed Ruscha, Alison Ruttan, Carrie Schneider, Matthew Schreiber, Andrew Schoultz, Erika Somogyi, John Sparagana, Doug and Mike Starn, Bill Viola, Simmons & Burke, Kim Soo, Caleb Weintraub, and many more. Additional programming includes live performances from select audio artists, and lectures by scholars working in

a number of fields concerning the exhibition’s topics.

The exhibition complements a book project of the same name released by Front Forty Press and the University of Chicago in September 2008. This handsome catalogue features a comprehensive section of interviews, critical essays, and large illustrations of work by sixty artists. For more information on the larger book project, please

visit www.front40press.com/sotar.php.

Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture will be on view from July 19 – September 20, 2009 at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 South Cornell Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60615; 773.324.5520 and www.hydeparkart.org. Exhibitions are always free and open to the public.

Hunter Kirkland Contemporary Opening: May 22, 5-7pm

New Belushi Pisano Gallery Location

Last weekend I had the great fortune to visit the new location of the Belushi Pisano Gallery now open and located in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. 

Belushi Pisano Gallery

26 Kelley Street 

( across from the Kelley House Inn.)

Edgartown, MA 02539

Tel: 508-939-9322

In the next week or two a selection of my new paintings will be on their way to the gallery and I hope that those of you on the island or planning to visit will stop in to view the works in person!! My sincere thanks to everyone for your continued support!! 

Kali & Veronica 

Atlanta Botanical Garden Collection

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail party at the Atlanta Botanical Garden to celebrate the opening of their new wing... 

Three of my paintings are now permanently installed in the upstairs meeting room of the new Hardin Visitor Center. I'm honored to have my work included in such a beautiful public space and hope those of you who will visit the ABG in the future will let me know what you think of the new pieces!

Don't miss the Atlanta Botanical Garden's public grand opening is this weekend (May 2-3, 11a.m.-4p.m.) View the special exhibition of Henry Moore's monumental sculptures, along with the new Southern Season gardens and the Hardin Vistor Center!

Updates via Twittering & Tweeting

Hello All! 

With so much going on ... it's hard to keep up. I've been trying to work on updating my inventory, my website, and my blog for two months, all the while keeping up with work in the studio for commissions and upcoming exhibitions and socializing. It's been a blur of a year to date and now that spring has arrived I'm even more determined to get caught up and keep everyone up to date on what I hope will be a more regular basis. (For my own sanity this is a must!) One of the things that I think is pretty helpful lately is Twitter. Yes, there is that word again!  Have you heard? Everyone is "tweeting"... I resisted for awhile...but I've found it helpful to post bits and pieces of news that might not be worthy of a full blog-post ... or if I'm too lazy or tight on time to blog about it. Twitter has in fact become a phenomenon. People are using it for so many reasons now... my meager attempt is just to keep you up to date with things I think are worthy of making mention.  Since I have sworn not to waste my time on Facebook again (I know, I know, everyone is on Facebook, but it's an addiction I had to kick), I'm left with this blog, my website and twitter to keep everyone updated and in the know. Of course there is the old fashioned e-mail... which I do send out occasionally, but I figure if people are really curious they will have these options to turn to. . . 

If you are on my e-mail list, chances are you've recently received an e-invite to join me on Twitter and you can always sign up at any time through the link on this blog.  

I've got a ton of news that will be posted in a few days... including exhibition dates, new work, commissions, new collections and news about gallery representation! I can't wait to share it with all of you and want to express my sincere gratitude for all of your continued support. It's meant so much to me and continues to be a source of great encouragement and inspiration. 

Thank you!!! Happy Tweeting And Happy Spring!!

Creative Loafing Interview

I was recently interviewed by Jeremy Abernathy for the Creative Loafing Speakeasy. Here is the link to view it on the Creative Loafing Culture Surfing blog. 

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/2009/03/20/speakeasy-with-jennifer-jl-jones/

Fay Gold Gallery Moving

It was just announced in the AJC on February 26th that Fay Gold will be closing her Miami Circle gallery location on April 1st.  I wanted to post something here on my blog to inform everyone (and to put some rumors to rest) and to encourage everyone to come view my exhibition before the show ends on March 28th.  http://www.faygoldgallery.com

Please continue to support the arts and the artists you love however you can... your support, encouragement, and patronage helps keep the creativity flowing and is very much appreciated!


The following was printed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on February 26, 2009:

Fay Gold plans to close her gallery, a fixture on the arts scene since 1980, and become a private dealer and art consultant. Lagging sales in a bad economy made overhead costs at her Miami Circle venue unsustainable. A moving sale will be held during regular business hours from March 5 to 28. Fay Gold Gallery will close April 1.

Never a shrinking violet, Gold has no intention of disappearing from the Atlanta art scene.

“I will hold small salon-style receptions in my home as well as mount larger exhibitions at alternative spaces,” she says. “I will also have more time to finish my forthcoming memoir, ‘Basquiat’s Cat.’ “

Painting featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine

I'm pleased to announce that one of my paintings, "Come to Light" was featured in the 2009 February issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine.  Here is the image featured along with a link to the article!  

http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/Atlanta-Homes-and-Lifestyles/February-2009/Creating-a-Beautiful-Bedroom/

Thanks

Thanks so much to everyone able to come out to the recent Art Papers Auction as well as the opening reception for my exhibition at Fay Gold Gallery last week. It was a celebration to be sure and your incredible support and e-mails and well wishes for success are all deeply appreciated. Posted are a few installation shots and an image from opening night. 

Please continue to support the arts, the galleries and the artists you love... you are the ones making the biggest difference in our creative lives and we love sharing our work with you!

Fay Gold Gallery Opening: Feb. 13th, 7-9pm

Art Papers 10th Annual Auction

On Saturday, February 7th, Art Papers will hold its 10th Annual Art Auction at Mason Murer in Atlanta, Georgia. This is stellar showcase of work by over 300 famed and emerging artists from around the world. I have donated the painting, "Concurrent II",  for this event and hope that you all will be able to come out to enjoy and help show your support!  Please follow this link to purchase your tickets and to find out more information about absentee bidding and/or other details. Thanks so much for your support!! 

"Concurrent II"

15"x 48" x 2"

Mixed Media Painting on Wood Panel

© Jennifer J L Jones

Value: $2600.

Minimum Bid: $260.

Fay Gold Gallery Opening: Feb. 13th, 7-9pm

My bad! So I just found out that my show at Fay Gold Gallery is actually on Friday, February 13th from 7-9pm (not Feb. 11th). Sorry for any confusion!
I hope to see you there!!
~Jennifer


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Veronica Kessenich, Director
veronica@faygoldgallery.com; 404.233.3843

Terri Hallman

Jennifer J L Jones

Anthony Liggins

Ferdinand Rosa

"I feel more like a tunnel, a channel, a conduit passing through a variety of thoughts and emotions through the world itself which I transform and which metamorphosis me in turn"
- Anselm Kiefer

WHAT: Four Artists to Watch
WHO: Terri Hallman, Jennifer J L Jones, Anthony Liggins, Ferdinand Rosa
WHEN: February 13 - March 28
Opening Reception: Friday, February 13 from 7 to 9 pm
WHERE: Fay Gold Gallery, 764 Miami Circle

Atlanta, GA – The question that curators, collectors, critics and art dealer ponder is: How do you predict which artists of our time will be well-known 100 years from now? Who will be embraced by the museums in the next century?

In selecting Terri Hallman, Jennifer J L Jones, Anthony Liggins, and Ferdinand Rosa we looked for accessibility, humor, and influence on other artists, conceptual breakthrough and spirituality. Their art is rich and full of surprises and they have explored a wide variety of media. Hopefully, their new intellectual weight will attribute to the longevity of their work.


TERRI HALLMAN

Hallman's primitive abstract faces at first seem simple, but on closer observation, her laborious technique creates unusual layers of depth. Her colors are super-saturated and the surfaces have a textural quality. Hallman begins by laying out dry pigments on paper. She sprays clear acrylic then using tape, she masks off areas. She repeats this process several times while applying pressure with her hands. No brushes are used. She scrapes or tears away selected areas, revealing layers of color underneath. The next step is to apply oil paint washes on the surface. The work is in constant transformation until it "reaches maturity". This procedure lessens the color field ground while highlighting the importance of the faces or figures. Her work combines strange anthropomorphic creatures and comic version of personages from master paintings. With their bright colors and mildly cynical figuration, the painting engages is a delicate balancing act which is overcome by exquisite tension and delight.


JENNIFER J L JONES

Through her intuitive painting process, Atlanta artist Jennifer Jones wants people to understand her work within their own way own thinking, their own history. In a way, each viewer "finished" her painting with their own vision. She wants them to see something within them that she has never thought of herself.

Jones has reduced natural forms to iconic, silhouetted shapes in compositions that make landscapes the occasion for an extremely refined treatment of materials and painting surface. She investigates relations of dimension, proportion and shape. Her use of high gloss varnish as well as her meticulous stylization of branches and leaves slacken the tension between image and abstraction. Her compositions appear to be strongly influenced by Japanese prints. Her reason to paint is to "transform" something that possesses her. An apparition becomes asymmetry. She draws on the mysterious sources of inspiration and inventiveness to define her individuality in this world.


ANTHONY LIGGINS

Anthony Liggins nominally monochromatic paintings are full of quiet dappled light. Interwoven with hatch marks, Liggins paintings are grid-based compositions staccato frenzies of colorful under painting overlaid with fragments as the result of a long series of controlled steps. He slowly builds up opaque but luminous areas of color. He creates a fluttering sensation with his irregular dots pressed on canvas and wood. He adds chopsticks wrapped in multicolor thread into fabric stitching which seem to knit together on the paintings surface. The patterned marks summon up aspects of Japanese textile design such as those used in children's kimonos. It suggests a more unified composition closer to an activated surface of chromatic variety.



FERDINAND ROSA

Atlanta artist Ferdinand Rosa's new work dealing with allegorical abstraction is a sincere and humble submission to a spiritual experience he had in the Southwest. In moving away from representation, Rosa offers us a means of solace and uplift. His work is exemplary of freedom and spontaneity. It is influenced by American Indian culture and southwestern sunsets. He gives a new perspective to space and fills his canvases with symbols of a cultural moment in time. This new body of work has become a lot more complicated than it used to be. Composed of fuzzy passages of tomato and brick red, creams and dark green earth tones, the paintings are reminiscent of early American Indian tapestries. Rosa's airy allover painting is woven from the canvas's edges to the center or intrudes from the corners. In many works, nature's elements - sky, mountains, sun, light and reflection - are cast as abstract patches of vivid color.


Veronica Kessenich

Fay Gold Gallery
764 Miami Circle
Atlanta GA 30324

404.233.3843 o
404.365.8633 f

Scattered, Smothered & Covered

So far this year has been anything but dull. I keep promising I will update everyone, but I am very behind on many things and admittedly a bit creatively scattered. Even with the help of my wonderful new assistant... somehow time eludes me. For the most part I've been in the new studio working hard to complete my latest paintings that will be featured in the show coming up at Fay Gold Gallery on February 11th. Invites will be sent out soon, but mark your calendars today so you can save the date!! 

Posted here are a few snapshots of the new studio and works in progress... (My new studio is located near downtown Decatur, in Avondale Estates, GA, just behind the very first Waffle House ... which I think is pretty keen.) 

Also, I wanted to share a quote someone sent me today that I love:

"You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past.
You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy or any of your time, or any of your space."

~Johnny Cash

It's a nice reminder to look ahead and so was the inspiration that hit me yesterday ... I thought about commenting on President Obama's Inaugural address... stepping up and taking responsibility and all really hit home... but then I realized he already said it and there really isn't anything else I need to add, so my only comment is "...yeah, what he said...."  :)

So, there is definitely MUCH more to come... the Art Papers Auction is coming up SOON (February 7th!) and my Fay Gold Gallery opening is but a few weeks away!!!! That's all I can blog about for now ... just wanted to let you all know I'm alive and well and working hard. 

I'd better get back to it!

Cheers and hopes that this quick post finds you all well!!

Happy New Year

I blinked and it was 2009!  Unbelievable that time moves so quickly... and to think so much goes in to each day, week, and month... all to make up a year.  I'm grateful for all the ups and downs of 2008... and have my hopes set high for 2009 and am looking straight ahead. Thanks to all of you who have continued to support my artwork... you have no idea how much it means to me...  Over the next twelve months I'm looking forward to producing my best work yet and sharing it with all of you. 

My warmest and most heartfelt wishes go out to everyone with the hopes that this year will be the best for all by far.  May you reach your goals and be blessed with endless peace, good health, happiness, and love.  Happy New Year!!!