by LAURA CZERWINSKI
ARTIST NAME | Jennifer Stein – Abstract Impressionist Artist
How would you describe your work?
The majority of my works reflect the peace and happiness of life that I experience and have lived, whether from growing up on the salty sea, which brought forth my series “Long Island Summer” or from seasons of God turning ashes into beauty which birthed the “Sophie’s Garden Series.”
Which other artists most inspired you?
I could answer this question by naming artists such as Monet, O’Keeffe, Twombly or Diebenkorn. While they have created art that has been inspiring on some levels, this next group of artists are the ones who truly inspire me – those who take risks, the lesser known but who are aspiring to become all they can be, the creators who step outside the box and don’t color in the lines, these few are the ones that cause me to rise and take notice.
Where do you find your best sources of inspiration?
Being raised on the Great South Bay with its alluring blue/gray waves filled with dancing sailboats; or having strolled through beautiful flower fields in Amsterdam and on dahlia farms in the PNW; or taking a hike in our majestic Blue Ridge Mountains; or simply walking down my road gazing at wild flower filled fields in my small rural town; these are God-given inspirations which cause my mind to go wild with possibilities.
What is the greatest compliment you’ve received about your work?
For a person to view my work, contemplate it, desire to have a certain piece as it pulls them in and causes them to experience beautiful emotions, and finally purchase and display that piece, this to me is the greatest compliment I could ever receive.
What are you working on now that you are excited about?
Besides always loving to create my impressionistic floral pieces and abstracts which sometimes contain sailboats, I’ve started combining the florals and the abstracts which leave a very interesting piece of art. This is a statement about a painting I recently sold that describes this new combination so well.
“Life is full of happenings, some easy to deal with, some very challenging, messy and, at times, can borderline feel like insanity. Learning to find joy, be thankful and create beauty, even in the midst of chaos, is imperative and can be done! This Sophie’s Garden piece has an under layer of ‘holy mess’ abstract which peeks through here and there, yet never fully gone. Glorious color splashes over the mess, heralding a bright garden of beautiful, impressionistic flora. This is life, finding and ‘Holding onto Joy in the Chaos.’”
Also, I am working on a large commission piece to be hung in a newly built lake home which will draw from its natural outdoor surroundings and complement this neutral modern farmhouse décor with pops of fun colors.
What is one piece of creative advice you didn’t take?
A person once said to me, “You would do well to take art lessons.” I have nothing against bettering oneself, learning from “the best” or immersing myself in study. A dear artist friend, whose work I greatly admired, gave me a lesson that changed my life. He opened the door to my artistic career, and I am eternally grateful. Other than that single session, I can wholeheartedly say that I am a self-taught artist. I’ve created my niche by years of leaning on spirit-led intuition, learning what works and doesn’t work through trial and error, creating beautiful works and ones that ended up in the junk pile. It’s taken courage and determination. For all of this, I am grateful, and most humbly say, I am proud.
To see more of Jennifer’s work in person, visit Juelerye in Mooresville or KF Studios in Davidson. You can also follow her on Instagram @JenniferSteinArt.
