by Adam Brant | Feb 28, 2018
New TAE artists Jenniferlee shares her excitement about donating a postcard to TAE18, and why she’d encourage other artists to get involved.
In this post Adam Brant talks to new TAE artist Jenniferlee (Jelee) who lives and works in southern Québec, Canada. Read our interview with Jenniferlee to discover how nature influences her work, why she is excited about being involved with TAE18, and what she has created for her first ever TAE entry.
When did you start making artwork?
I’ve always been interested in art and was fortunate to have my creative tendencies encouraged by a family of musicians, artists, and photographers. I had a grandmother who’d take me to galleries and theaters as a young child which gave me a desire to see more art. I still love visiting art galleries and shows as often as I can.
I’m a self-taught artist but have received guidance from many amazing artists over the years. I always feel there is more to learn!
What inspires you to make artwork?
I'm passionate about art and nature. I’m fascinated with observing the tiniest of details in nature, including the effects of light on colours and forms. Nature is a visual theater to me and inspires me to reproduce things such as close-ups of flowers and sunlight through coloured glass in my art work. I’m influenced by past and present masters of art who’ve captured the essence of light on subjects within their work.
When looking at the flowers in my garden I imagine their faces, upturned to the sun, singing to me. This is the source of inspiration for my series of flower paintings called “Garden Divas” (and the musical and operatic terminologie names given to each painting). I hope this series:
Evokes a feeling of the magnificence, power and beauty of a nature through the sensation of being engulfed in a flower
Raises awareness of the environmental importance of flowers to life (each “Gard Diva” has a discreetly placed serial number to reference the number of visits a bee makes to a flower for us to have 1lb of honey.
What can people expect from your artwork?
Many of my paintings are large (30 x 40 inches) but I also create smaller scale work. I paint with acrylics as I love the fluidity and transparency. I also enjoy sculpting with clay. I have two main series of work:
A realist/figurative series called ”Garden Divas” about flowers up-close and personal. These paintings are vibrant in color but softened by a blending technique. I’ve also started a “Black and White Divas” series. The paintings are finished with multiple layers of gloss varnish which gives the effect of a photograph
An abstract series called “Kaleidoscope” follows the same techniques as my realist/figurative series (and the two are quite recognizably “JeleeArt”).
Do you work as a full-time artist?
I’ve been a full-time artist since 2002. I`ve always worked for myself so the discipline of being focused on projects was already part of my routine. Balancing creative time with development and self-promotion work is always a challenge as there aren't enough hours in a day! I work on multiple artworks at the same time and my practice includes:
Self-directed work and solo show planning
Welcoming commissioned work
Delivering art tutoring to small groups of adults and children
Being involved in my local arts center
Participating in collective and solo exhibitions and symposiums.
How did you first hear about the Twitter Art Exhibit (TAE)?
TAE18 is the first for me! I’ve only been a regular Twitter user since 2017 but soon noticed a tweet for TAE17. The TAE interested me as I’m always looking for other art and artists, and I was curious about how an exhibit on Twitter would work.
Why did you decide to submit an artwork to the TAE?
I`m a strong advocate for using art and animal therapies to help people. When I saw the charity benefiting from TAE18 was exactly that (Pegasus), there was no question about getting involved. The challenge of working on a very small scale also appealed to me as an artist, and I was impressed by the quantity of amazing artwork submitted to this annual charitable event.
Being able to donate an artwork to the TAE is a fantastic opportunity as: • Someone gets an original piece of art to take home • A well deserving charity gets a financial boost • I get to share my art in another part of the world!
What has been your favourite thing about being involved with TAE?
Connecting with the fabulous group of TAE artists from around the world and feeling part of an art community on Twitter – it’s so cool to be part of! Not long after tweeting about my TAE18 postcard being sent to Australia I was surprised to discover the tweet had resulted in an “Artist of the Day” listing by another Twitter user (who profiles a different artist each day).
Are you planning to submit a postcard for TAE18?
I sent in my completed art postcard ‘Petite Diva’ in early December 2017.
Would you encourage others to take part in the TAE?
I think all artists should support charitable events. The professionalism of the TAE curators, and the quality of art that is submitted, made this exhibit move to the top of my list!
Getting international exposure amongst your peers as an artist is really important, as well as using your talents to help raise funds for a charity. We all benefit from the simple act of giving and sharing – it makes the world a better place.
Where can people discover more about you and your artwork?
By visiting my website www.jenniferleearts.com. People can also follow my social media accounts for the latest updates about my work and upcoming exhibitions:
• @JeLeeArtist on Twitter
• Jenniferlee Artiste-Peintre/Artist on Facebook
During summer 2018 I’m offering people touring the southern Québec wine route an opportunity to book a tour to visit my studio and garden art exhibits.
Our ‘meet the Twitter Art Exhibit (TAE) artists’ series of blog posts is an opportunity for you to discover more about the artists behind the TAE. All artists taking part in the TAE donate their own original postcard-sized artworks for sale each year. Their support, enthusiasm, talent and fantastic art enables the TAE to continue raising valuable funds for good causes.