Saying Goodbye and Thanks to 2011

In recent years I've been surprised when the end of another year has arrived; usually trying to understand how 12 months passed so quickly, but not 2011.  It's been a long, full year and I know exactly where all of my time went.


A year of conscious living and so many lessons, achievements, hardships, changes, blessings and everything in between. I spent a month in Italy to celebrate a big birthday and to make a long time dream become a reality. My month-long Italian residency was only the beginning of all that I would come to realize and the ways in which I would grow. I gained a different perspective of myself, the world,  and a greater understanding of my part in it that I'd not fully realized until this year. 


2011 was quite a journey. My artwork grew as I grew... 


I painted the Serenata series of works that are hands down the best pieces I have ever created. Following the changes in the  economy and feeling the effects much like everyone else, I had to come up with ways to make things work, shift, regroup and reinvent ways of continuing my work as a full time artist. My exhibitions were all a success in their own way and my exhibiting galleries and representatives have been such a light for me. My last exhibition for this year was entitled Ebb & Flow - it was a chance for me to help curate and partner with the gallery and the idea for the show mirrored the way in which I was able to follow my path. 


My year has been intense and full of personal enlightenment. By Thanksgiving I finally completed my very first coffee table book, another dream of mine I have always longed to make a reality. The response to my work, the celebrations surrounding my exhibitions and the inspiration I have been able to give to others have all made my year one of the richest I can recall. Not every year that is "the best year" means it is necessarily the happiest or the one filled with romance or even lots of excitement. In fact, sometimes it is the darkest times that can show us the brightest light when we look for it.  2011 was a year to grow up in a way that I needed to... a way for me to become more of my authentic self. And that's what made it so special for me. Learning how to be present and nourish myself allowed me to find a new depth in all things. I believe all of this is reflected in my relationships and translates into a journey that many who know me can see as positive change in me as a person and in my work. 


My feeling of gratefulness is with me as I write this. My plan for 2012 is to continue on my journey and take the best care of myself and those around me as I can. If I can have another year as fulfilling as this past one, I know I will be heading in the right direction. I also feel a larger responsibility that I need to find as many ways to give back and help the less fortunate as much as I can. My heart breaks every time I hear about animal abuse and I believe it is an important time to take greater care of these animals - this will be where a large part of my donations will go. I believe it is our responsibility to protect and nourish the beautiful things in this world. That includes other people, animals and our natural resources. 


With a new year, we are gifted more time to become better versions of ourselves... and a continued chance to make a difference in the world for the better. I pray that I will stay awake and present and conscious so that I may continue to help make this world a better place.  


With that I wish you all a very Happy New Year. I hope it is filled with blessings and above all, continued PEACE.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support of me, my artwork and my efforts. Every little bit is important to me and very much appreciated!

Love and light,

Jennifer

Annual New Works Group Show at Hunter Kirkland Contemporary

I'm pleased to announce that I've just completed and shipped out another new painting to Hunter Kirkland Cotemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico for our annual new works group show. I hope those of you in the NM area will be able to view these new works in person... and/or online! Let your art collections and homes grow with more beauty during the holidays!

Hunter Kirkland Contemporary

Annual Group Show

November 21st - December 31st

"Felicita"

48x48"

Mixed Media Painting on Wood

©2011 Jennifer J L Jones

Serenata book available

Serenata by Jennifer J L Jones | Make Your Own Book

Opening Reception of Ebb & Flow

Please join us this Friday, November 18 from 5-8 pm for the artists' reception "EBB AND FLOW" featuring new work by Jennifer J. L. Jones, Toni John, Wendy McArthur ,and John Folsom.  Experience the quiet calm of nature embodied in new works by four unique artists.   Enjoy live music and light refreshments.

Stellers Gallery

240 A1A N. Ste. 13

Ponte Vedra Beach FL 32082

Ebb and Flow: Exhibition Opening Friday, November 18th 5-8PM

St. Augustine Florida News: Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra to feature four renowned artists in a new group show, Nov. 18

StAug News

St Augustine Florida News

11.09.2011

by Tom Ski 

Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra to feature four renowned artists in a new group show, Nov. 18

Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra will exhibit the new artwork of four renowned artists during the group show, Ebb and Flow. The painters and mixed media artists are to be featured at the opening on Friday, November 18  from 5 pm until 8 pm at Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra, 240 A1A North, Ste. 13 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The public show remains on display through December. For more information, contact the gallery at 904.273.6065. Visit the website atwww.stellersgallery.com.

John Folsom, Jennifer J. L. Jones, Toni John and Wendy McArthur will exhibit new works with a focus on the natural. The artists are all highly collected and exhibited. Each painter complements each other’s talent with a unique visual experience.

John Folsom’s landscapes communicate his unique interpretations with mixed media on panels.  His photographic images are designed as a grid and pieced onto each panel.  Folsom completes the artwork with oils on the surface and seals each piece with a wax medium.

Jennifer J. L. Jones explores an abstract interpretation of energy and beauty with her artistic meditations on moments of change.  Her brilliantly colored, yet subtle luminous finishes are glazed and richly layered as introspective works which are inspired by nature.

Toni John features her abstract paintings in a large format and delves into brilliant colors with an extensive use of silver and gold leaf powder. Her work is influenced by Byzantine and Near Eastern art. Her work reflects a complexity of beauty and a celebration of earthly and celestial subjects.

Wendy McArthur exhibits art that features rich layers of paint and glaze depicting the tranquility of lone boats and bicycles. Her shapes and blocks of color are large on the canvas with refined sketching and brushwork along with radiant hues from her personally crafted ground pigments.

Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra is open from Monday through Friday from 11 am until 6 pm and Saturday from 11 am until4 pm. Phone number is 904.273.6065.

Tom Ski Tom Ski is a master of the great outdoors. You can find Tom fly fishing in Montana, photographing elk and bison, watching birds from a hide or in the long grass, talking about life on his radio show and writing about his adventures. www.befirstinc.com www.be-wisdom.com http://www.facebook.com/AllTiedUpProductions Email this author | All posts by Tom Ski | Topic: Art, Community Events | Tags: Art, art walk, chalk, drawing, exhibit, framing, gallery, gicele, oil, original, painting, pastel, showing

Chicago Art Source Gallery Group Exhibition

Please join me this Friday, November 11th (6-8pm) for the opening reception of my next group show!

Chicago Art Source Gallery

1871 North Clybourn Avenue  Chicago, IL 60614-4947

Solo Exhibition at Environment Furniture

Links to more updates/news/etc

For those of you who may be looking for more info/news/updates... I've just posted another online journal entry on my wordpress site.

You can also follow my tweets and/or "like" my Facebook page for ongoing updates,etc.


Thank you for your support!! Looking forward to sharing more images and news with you on all of these links/social media outlets SOON!

Recent Inspiration

Cumberland Island

photos: ©2011 Jennifer J L Jones

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to take a couple of days to get to the shoreline... and take a ferry over to an unspoiled island as well. These are a few of the images from that trip and that are inspiring new works in the studio now. This fall one of my shows is "Ebb & Flow"... which is perfect for these water shots to base paintings on. Should be fun to see how they transform & flow over the coming weeks/months.

Tybee Island

photos: ©2011 Jennifer J L Jones

Painting Featured in Traditional Home Magazine

Last week two of my collectors from San Francisco sent me a nice e-mail mentioning they had been flipping through their August issue of Traditional Home Magazine and saw my artwork featured in an article. I was delighted and happily surprised by this news and immediately pulled it up online to view.

Art over fireplace (by Jennifer J.L. Jones): Fay Gold Gallery, jenniferjljones.com.

I want to thank my collectors for alerting me to this as well as to the collectors who own the "Niwa" (totems) and have it in their beautiful Atlanta home collection. I'm pleased to know that my work is in such wonderful collections around the world. My gratitude goes out to all of you who are so wonderfully genuine and supportive. Thank you! Thank you!

Interior designer: William C. Huff Jr., and Heather Zarrett Dewberry, Huff-Dewberry, LLC, 2300 Peachtree Rd. N.W., Suite B201, Atlanta, GA 30309-1122; 404/355-7600, huffdewberry.com.

Architect: Bulent Baydar, Harrison Design Assoc., 3198 Cains Hill Pl. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30305-1844; 404/365-7760, harrisondesignassociates.com.

Photographs by Emily Followill
Text by Amy Elbert
Produced by Lisa Mowry

Base hits and double plays were Jeff Blauser’s bread and butter for more than 10 years as a major leaguer for the Atlanta Braves. Who knew the shortstop had a keen eye for architecture and design as well?

Now retired from playing professional baseball, Jeff and his wife, Andee, drafted their own team--architects, designers, artisans, and a contractor--to build a new home in the Atlanta area. The couple and their two children, Abbie, 11, and Cooper, 8, needed space to spread out, but building big wasn’t the overriding goal. Instead, Jeff and Andee favored a flowing floor plan with a great room, kitchen, and loggia on the back of the house that see as much action as a pitcher’s mound. Kids’ pool parties and sleepovers, family dinners and impromptu gatherings on the loggia are the norm at the Blauser house. Interiors are a graceful blend of Southern elegance and down-home Southern hospitality, reflecting Andee’s Louisiana upbringing.

“I love the beauty of neutrals,” says Andee, who warmed to a dreamy backdrop of cream and taupe, with blue and chocolate accents. Elegance was key, but so were furnishings that would perform. Antique beams, oiled wood floors, and nubby fabrics tone down any pretense of dressiness and are virtually indestructible. “Both Jeff and I love antiques, so we wanted to go that route,” says Andee. “We also mixed in new things because it makes rooms unique and more interesting. We don’t want to look like everyone else.”

Atlanta designers Heather Dewberry and Will Huff hit the antiques markets and shops with Andee in search of furnishings that were the right mix of comfort and style. “They wanted a home that was great for entertaining and would also feel cozy when it was just the four of them,” Dewberry says. Both Jeff and Andee weighed in on design decisions, and Andee, in particular, “had to really love something before they bought,” the designer adds.

The same held true for the architecture, with the Blausers taking a couple of years to finalize house plans. “They wanted an English manor-style home, but they also wanted it to be open and contemporary inside,” says Bill Harrison, who designed the house with fellow architect Bulent Baydar. Triple gables across the front pay homage to the English style, while huge bay windows ensure interiors are flooded with light.

“That’s one of the trends we’re seeing,” adds Baydar. “People want the look of an old home on the outside, but inside they want lighter spaces with lots of windows, less trim, and clean lines.” Per Jeff’s request, interior trim and architectural details are restrained. “Jeff wanted clean lines, minimal trim, nothing fussy,” Baydar says.

The open floor plan is centered on a spacious stair hall that flows to the great room, kitchen, and a loggia. French doors topped with transoms and gabled windows cut into the kitchen’s vaulted ceiling fill the rooms with light. Antique ceiling beams and trim around some doorways ground the rooms, adding warmth and character. “These are very fluid spaces, and the house almost feels contemporary, but it is brought back to traditional with the natural beams, the wood trim, and, of course, the furnishings,” Harrison says. A pair of sculptural chaises and a chocolate brown sofa in the great room allow for comfortable television viewing without blocking the French doors. “

As you walk in the front door, you see right into the great room,” says Dewberry. “We didn’t want to block the views from those glass doors with sofas.”

While the chaises were custom-made to fit Jeff’s 6-foot-1-inch frame, “the kids have totally claimed them,” Andee says. Fortunately, the designers covered them with a durable chenille basket-weave fabric. “This is a high-traffic room, so we made sure fabrics would perform.” A center coffee table/ottoman wears easy-care Ultrasuede. “You can spill anything on it and wipe it off,” Dewberry says.

A multiarm Italian chandelier hangs above the ottoman and balances the large room without dominating it. “We all fell in love with that chandelier,” Huff remembers. “It’s open and elegant and just what the room needed.”

Activities spill from the great room into the showstopper kitchen, with a ceiling that soars to 24 feet. Counter bar stools and a charming scalloped high-back banquette in the family dining area allow for plenty of seating for daily meals and when the family entertains. “The square-to-round table is great when we have extra people,” Andee says. “We can just open the leaves on the four sides and pull up a few more chairs.”

Atlanta kitchen designer Beth Barfield maximized limited wall space for cabinets with a tall, pull-out pantry beside the range and countertop-level cabinets with flip-up doors for storing small appliances. Cabinets are painted a soft blue-gray, a palette repeated throughout the house; corner cabinets are fitted with leaded mercury-glass fronts. A scallop-topped marble backsplash on the sink wall, curvaceous candle-style sconces, and graceful chandeliers give the space a dressy feel without being overly formal. “We’re definitely not over-the-top-type people,” Andee says.

Proving that, the Blausers spend much of their time on the loggia off the kitchen. With soft seating, outdoor draperies, a fireplace, and a television, “the loggia is Jeff’s favorite room,” Andee reports. Friends often drop by with the greeting, “Is it loggia time?” she adds. “In the summer, we have the fans going, and when it’s cool, we light the fire and close the outdoor curtains. It’s really cozy.” A home run, whatever the season.

New Mailing List

I've got a link and I'm not afraid to use it!

After nearly a full year of frustrations from mailing list mix-ups and black lists and being mistaken for spam, I've finally turned to My Emma to help me manage my art mailing list. I'm starting from scratch and posting this to let everyone know. If you're interested in being on the official non-spam, sans-black list art mailing list for Jennifer J L Jones Studios, it's time to sign up!

I am looking forward to being able to send out announcements and invitations via email again. Such a luxury we can sometimes take for granted.

Don't wait! Sign up for this fresh new list. And thanks for your support!

May 2011 Interview

A few folks mentioned they missed seeing this interview I did with Veronica Kessenich of Kessenich Contemporary in May. The link was posted, but perhaps it was somewhat lost in the blog posts and other various social media? In any case, I'm posting the entire interview here for those that may have missed it. Hope you enjoy!

Jennifer J L Jones:

Her Authentic Self

Atlanta-based artist, Jennifer J L Jones, sits down to answer a few questions outside her studio. Over coffee & bagels, she laughs about the ups and downs of living in a villa in the Italian countryside, what inspires her work, and where she plans to journey next (perhaps without ever leaving the studio.)

A view from outside the studio

VK: Do you have a ritual before beginning to paint?

JJLJ: No, but my work depends on my energy level. I am very aware of how I am feeling so I will, sometimes, briefly meditate allowing me to go inward and tap into my energy, helping me to discover what I am going to paint.

VK: Do you listen to music or have a playlist that helps you?

JJLJ: I do create a new playlist for each series I am working on and I sometimes put it on my blog. The music is all mood oriented and very eclectic. There are few things I don’t listen to. Well, I don’t listen to speed metal (she laughs), but I listen to everything from Opera to Rap – it all depends on the energy that I am wanting for the series that I’m working on.

My Serenata series, which will span the duration of the year, has a broad array of songs, a few of which are:

Let Him Fly – Patti Griffin (about letting go)
Claire de Lune – Debussy (it’s soooo pretty)
Stay or Leave – Dave Matthews Band (the lyrics are delish)

The music, so far, has evolved as my mood changes. If I feel like it’s getting too weepy, I will change it and listen to something more playful. In talking about it, I realize that the words of the songs are very important and evident in the work. If you listen to the songs, you’ll hear a similar theme that exists in the paintings: seeking, finding and letting go.

VK: Why the concept of ‘letting go’?

JJLJ: It is very personal; it’s where I am in my life. About liberating myself from unrealistic fantasies – letting go of the old notions that are not working to then allow me to embrace things that will work. It’s an act of self-discovery. The cheesy term of finding yourself and thereby coming to know yourself, a desire to make yourself happy from the inside and listen to your inner muse.

VK: As you embark on this journey of self-discovery, do you think your painting allows you to travel (without ever leaving the studio)?

JJLJ: I come from a family of travelers and viewers have told me that they feel like they’ve been to these places (that I paint), but they cannot orient themselves at a specific location. Perhaps this is what they connect with – the notion of embarking on a journey through the paintings with me as their guide or companion.

These are some of my sketches from my Italian art sabbatical- abstract cyprus trees, artichoke, olive tree, waterfalls, fire, enchanted woods… stormy weather that eventually led to the arrival of spring…

VK: In walking around your studio, I notice your sketches have a lot of words on them as well. Why do you incorporate text and image (on your sketches)?

JJLJ: What I went through in Italy was intense – good, but challenging – and, I wanted to remember specific moments. The text allows me to remember the experience. I felt it was important to anchor what I was thinking – the sketch is so quick, that it doesn’t hold the weight that the paintings do.

VK: So, in Italy was when you really embraced making watercolors.

JJLJ: I did break down in Cortona and buy acrylic and paintbrushes – it was incredible reading the colors in Italian to the shop keeper and though my pronunciation was definitely not superb, it was fun picking them out. He understood what I was saying. Obviously when it comes to art, everyone speaks a very familiar language.

Some of my very first paint brushes from my first year in college are in this pic.

And some cotton. I LOVE cotton. I want a huge arrangement of it.

VK: Other than music and travel, where do you find inspiration?

JJLJ: Nature. And my emotions. Ranging from delight to heartbreak and combined with my attempts to understand the world around me, this seemingly personal journey, the learning of life lessons – which is our life lesson – is evident in nature. If you look at my images, you’ll find a diverse array of flora and fauna that must be sifted through in order to discover the essential truth that it is the journey that is most important.

VK: How do you keep yourself motivated, organized?

JJLJ: I’m sure on some level, I am organized even though I don’t feel it. I have timelines that keep me motivated and on task with my goals. (Laughing) Birthdays help too – My most recent birthday was good at making me get organized – pushing me to get to the place that I want to be.

My work tables have become works of art themselves.

VK: What’s the best advice you’ve received from a mentor? Or, what advice would you give?

JJLJ: One of my instructors always encouraged us to take our ideas and do thorough research on what has been done prior and then, take it further. My advice: Follow your heart and listen to yourself. This is the key to everything. Take others opinions with a grain of salt – you must remain authentic.

VK: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

JJLJ: Just one? (She laughs) That’s a really good question. Maybe fly? I need a bit more time with that one. All the superpowers are such a control thing – I don’t necessarily want to read peoples minds or stop time – I just want to let go. Having a superpower would take away the mystery of things.

Ah yes, my crunchy painting apron. It tends to fascinate people when they see how thick the paint is in person.

Installation Shots & Summer Update

Thanks to those of you in the Atlanta area that made it out to our Folsom Jones studio exhibition last month. We are hoping to have more events coming up in the area and will be sure to keep everyone posted.

It's summer and it's a hot one! I've been keeping pretty busy and cool in the studio. Currently underway is a new commission for the Northside Hospital lobby. I've also just received another commission for a private collection in Dallas, so I'm very pleased about all of this. New paintings are also in the works to send out to my galleries soon. August should be a great month for the debut of a few of these fresh works!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer thus far. Many folks are traveling and getting in their summer vacations with the families. Once I can get a few of these pieces completed in the studio I'll be heading off on a few adventures myself. Much needed, I can tell you.

Coming up this fall are several group shows I'll be getting ready for in Chicago, Santa Fe and Pone Vedra Beach. All dates and info will be shared once we've thoroughly enjoyed our summer time.

For now, I leave you with a couple of snapshots of "Samsara II" I received last night from my new collectors in Boston. One of the things that always pleases me is to see images of my paintings hanging in their new homes and collections.

Folsom Jones Studio Exhibition

It's ON!

This Friday, June 24th (2-6pm), Kessenich Contemporary will host a studio exhibition of a selection of my paintings along with the photographic paintings of John Folsom. I've reserved twenty paintings ranging in size from 10"x10" up to 60"x60" for this special event. We are looking forward to sharing our work in person with those of you in the Atlanta area. (Please contact Kessenich Contemporary directly to receive a formal invitation to this event.)

Sending out my heartfelt thanks to everyone for your ongoing support!

Shout Out Blog Brags

I am fortunate to be around people I admire and who are doing things they love. I wanted to shout out/blog brag about a few of these people in regards to their latest events/news/endeavors.

First and foremost, if you're in the Atlanta area, don't miss John Folsom's talk tonight at 7pm about his work currently on exhibit at the Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art. John's work is also represented at the Besharat Gallery booth at SCOPE Basel (June 15-19th) in Switzerland. I can't wait to hear how that goes! Congratulations, John!

John Folsom and I will be exhibiting our work together for a special event here in Atlanta on Friday, June 24th. If you're local and haven't already contacted me to be on the invitation list, please send me an email through my website and I'll make sure you get an invite soon.

My good friend, writer Vene Franco has her new blog up and rolling. It's called Unsweetened. I encourage everyone to check it out and follow her posts... she took a little hiatus from blogging for a bit and her fans are more than pleased that she's "back" now! Congrats, Vene!

Netherlands Artist Brit Hammer is working on a couple of new books and I'm excited and pleased to have been asked to participate in one of them! Brit's book will be out 11-11-11 and I will be sharing more news about that this fall. Thank you so much, Brit for including me on this wonderful project!

My congratulations going out to Fay Gold for all of her latest events and news! Fay has a bundle of exciting endeavors that continue to unfold and I'm looking forward to visiting the new space at the Westside Arts District.

And last, but not least, congratulations to my photographer Robert Hill and his wife Julia on their new addition to the fam. Couldn't be happier for you both! I can't wait to meet your little one.

Hello, successful sweet summer

I'm back from Santa Fe and have to say that the show was a big success! A fantastic turn out (best I've had in six years at Hunter Kirkland Contemporary) and the exhibition looked gorgeous! I'm so grateful to my gallery, new collectors, existing collectors, clients, family, friends and new friends and fans! What a wonderful, magical weekend. I say this every year, and I mean it: Santa Fe truly is a place NOT to miss. My show will be up until June 12th, so those of you in the Santa Fe area, I encourage you to stop in! To view photos of the installed exhibition, please visit my new Artist Facebook Page.

Memorial Day weekend is always a celebrated weekend... it is my goodbye to spring and hello to summer. Oh what a sweet southern summer it will be. Hopefully a successful sweet summer. I'm ready to get back into the studio and create more beauty.

If you're in the Atlanta area, please mark your calendars for Friday, June 24th. I'll be exhibiting my paintings at a special event at John Folsom Studios. If you'd like a special invitation to this event, please let me know or contact Kessenich Contemporary directly.

I'll continue to keep you posted this summer... for now I'd like to shout out sincere thanks to my galleries for adding my artwork recently to the following collections:

St. Louis, Missouri (Private Collection)

Dallas, Texas (Private Collection)

Boston, Massachusetts (Private Collection)

San Francisco, California (Private Collection)

Orlando, Florida (Wicker, Smith, O'Hara, McCoy & Ford, P.A.)

Interview

A couple of weeks ago as the shippers were preparing my new paintings heading out to New Mexico for my solo show this Friday, I sat down for an interview with Veronica Kessenich. It was one of the funnest interviews I've ever had! Thank you, Kessenich Contemporary for your incredible support and belief in me and my work!

To enjoy this interview, please visit this link.

Solo Exhibition at Hunter Kirkland Contemporary

"Sera"

60"x48"

Mixed Media Painting on Wood Panel

©2011 Jennifer J L Jones

This Friday night I'll be attending the opening of "Serenata", my solo exhibition at Hunter Kirkland Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I hope those of you in the area will be able to come to the show. Each new painting in this series has a special story to it and one I'll enjoy sharing with many of you in person. (To view these new series images, please visit my website.)

Thanks to all of you for your amazing support! If you'd like to show your support in even more ways, please visit my new Facebook Artist Page. I wasn't planning to personally maintain the page, but it turns out that I'm rather enjoying it and it's another great place to interact with those that enjoy the convenience of social networking. Check it out to see some updates and posts that might not be on this blog or my journal!

Rising Artists!

Yesterday I was a visiting artist for the first time at a high school. While many of the Advanced Portfolio seniors were already gone for the school year... there were a few juniors who were already in the advanced art courses and really made a difference in my experience as a guest. I want to thank Mrs. Johnson for inviting me to try and share my work and knowledge as a full time artist with your classes. I really do hope I was able to make a positive impression and inspire at least a few of your kids. (Mrs. J, you are doing an AMAZING job as a teacher... I was worn out after four classes and can only imagine the strength you must have over the past ten years. Congratulations, btw!)

Special thanks to my sister in law (Shelly), my nephew (Matt), Jessica Hedgepeth, Spencer Grady, Austin Winter, Hannah Merritt, and Wendy Adams. Jessica and Hannah, I really appreciate your openness and wonderful energy and sharing this artwork with me... I was really happy you agreed to let me take these photos and share on my blog. You are both invited as interns if/when the right time opens up. Be sure to keep in touch!

For the readers here: I think all of these kids mentioned have a great deal of talent. They are for sure just a few of the bright eyed rising artists to keep a close watch on! I see bright futures ahead!!!

This is a dress made out of paper airplanes by Jessica Hedgepeth.

(I wish I could wear this to my art opening next week! LOVE it!!)

This is an acrylic painting that really struck me yesterday by Hannah Merritt.

SUCH talent for beginning art!!! GO Hannah!!!

Visiting Artist

Last year I was invited to be a guest artist at my nephew's high school. My schedule has been such that it kept getting pushed back and back and back... until finally, the kids are almost out of school! Time to get my butt up to Knoxville and see what kind of inspiration I can hopefully offer to these rising artists. I'm looking forward to this opportunity... and I'd like to share this with all of you as well.

If any of my readers get this today, here is your chance to be a part of four artist lectures/interactive art presentations tomorrow!

Feel free to comment here if there are any messages you'd like to share with these future artists... What do you wish you had known early on that has helped you on your creative path/career?? Or in life in general? Let's give them the knowledge and tips that we can that might help them along the way... I WISH someone had come to my high school AP art class to do this for us. I think it would have really helped.

Please comment on this post... OR...If you'd like to comment on my Facebook Artist Page, please do so! Either way, we'd love your input. I'll be reading any responses you have to these to kids and know they'll appreciate it.

Exhibition Preview

JENNIFER J L JONES Serenata: May 27- June 12 Opening Reception With The Artist, May 27, 5:00-7:00 PM 200-B Canyon Rd., Santa Fe, NM

"Samsara II" Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 60 x 60 inches ©2011 Jennifer J L Jones We always look forward to seeing what Jennifer J.L. Jones has added to her evolving oeuvre, and this year is no exception. For her new series “Serenata,” which will be on display at the gallery from May 27 through June 12, she uses a richer palette than ever before, addressing ideas and emotions that are at once personal and universal. It’s as if she’s inviting us to journey with her into her inner world of contemplation but also to explore the all-encompassing realm of nature. The unique way she combines the two gives this work a particular urgency, which contrasts intriguingly with her paintings’ serene beauty. Jones continues to abstract her observations from nature while mining her own emotional life for inspiration, most recently drawing ideas from a working trip to Tuscany where she experienced the transition from winter to spring.

"Insieme I" Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 20 x 60 inches ©2011 Jennifer J L Jones

"Patience" Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 48 x 48 inches ©2010 Jennifer J L Jones “My work has to do with nature, energy, seasons, and emotions,” says the artist, “and Italy has had a profound effect on this series. My time there showed me what a major role the weather patterns and seasons continue to play in my painting. The ideas I’ve been working on for this series have been taken directly from my experience in the Tuscan countryside, where I witnessed all the enchanting nuances of living on top of a mountain. My sketches for the series range from brooding, moody, pre-spring storms to the abundant rain and the intense green grass of the hillsides, with blips of white sheep, colorful tulips, and daffodils.”

"Neci" Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 60 x 48 inches ©2010 Jennifer J L Jones Jones has refined her technique over the years, using less of the ridged papers and natural elements like leaves that gave her past work texture in favor of glazing thin layers of oil paint, acrylic, and tar, then sanding them until the desired effect is achieved. At first glance the surfaces appear heavily lacquered, almost to the point of impenetrability, but closer examination reveals a textured world of activity beneath the surface, the layering process subtly but powerfully highlighting an abstracted universe of natural elements and the feelings they evoke. The deeper palette of greens, browns, and clarets is deceptive as well, as the pops of light and color that animate the background introduce a sense of playfulness and optimism, of a lightness of spirit that’s grounded by, rather than immersed in, the darkness. Sincerely, Nancy Hunter, Owner/Director Hunter Kirkland Contemporary

PLEASE CONTACT THE GALLERY FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Hunter Kirkland Contemporary 505.984.2111 hunterkirkland@earthlink.net www.hunterkirklandcontemporary.com