Jennifer Love Artwork BLOG

My painting, Kokopelli Song Woven Through My Dreams , was accepted to the 2013 Utah Watercolor Society (UWS) Fall Member Exhibition. I am very excited! It's another step towards achieving Signature Member status in the society, which I have been working towards for several years now. This will be my 5th painting accepted to UWS qualified, juried UWS shows. I must have eight paintings accepted and also have one painting win a major award in order to achieve Signature status. :) The show opens this Thursday night at Michael Berry Gallery in downtown Salt Lake City, UT and runs October 3 - November 1. Robert Burridge was the juror for this exhibition. I am planning to create more woven paintings in the next year, but I am currently trying to focus on completing the illustrations I have been working on. This illustration project has proven to be more challenging than I expected, giving me an entirely new appreciation for those artists who illustrate...

Nibblefest time again on eBay. Seems like it sneaks up on me every month! Luckily, this month started on a weekend. :) Nibblefest is a monthly themed art contest on eBay. Each artist creates one to three pieces of work around the chosen theme. All auctions must have a starting bid of $0.99. It's a great way to start or add to your collection of original artwork for affordable prices! This month's theme is "Birds." Auctions started today and will end on the 27th of the month. I created one piece for this month. It is titled "If I Can Toucan" Original watercolor on cold press paper. M. Graham paint. Approximately 5" x 7" in size. :) Click here if you would like to go to the auction site.

This month's Nibblefest theme is TREES.  Nibblefest is a monthly art contest on ebay, centered around a theme. It starts on the 20th of the month and ends on the 27th. All auctions start at just $0.99.  :) Here are my three entries: "Red Roof, Black Tree" This is an ACEO painting (size 2.5" x 3.5") Watercolor on Strathmore 140lb cold press paper Click here if you'd like to go to the auction. "Redwood Rhododendron 3" Watercolor on Arches 140lb cold press paper Approx 5" x 7" Click here if you'd like to go to the auction "Sentries" Watercolor on 140lb cold press paper Approx 5" x 7" Click here if you'd like to go to the auction Thanks for checking in on my blog today. I hope you are each having a good April. :) As for my family, we are grateful for our safety and our blessings, and we are saying prayers for those who are ...

I had so much fun creating my "Kokopelli Song Woven Through my Dreams" woven painting for the Utah Watercolor Society (UWS) Two Star / Signature Member Show this year that I had to immediately create a new woven painting the next weekend (the process takes about two days). My second foray into the woven painting process, I decided to vary the weave a bit by making different sized strips for the cross sections. The second painting is titled "I Have the Experimental BLUES." Acrylic on 140 lb Arches watercolor paper. (size 13" x 19") Since "Kokopelli" was already heading to the Two Star / Signature Member Show, I entered "Experimental BLUES" into the UWS Spring Show. This is a highly competitive show that is juried by the guest artist who the UWS brings in for their week-long Spring workshop. These artists are often masters in their respective water-media fields, well-known, and making a living at their craft. The Spring...

I just read some commentary on Facebook from a fellow artist about working on a Wabi-Sabi series, and I decided I had to research this thing called Wabi-Sabi. I have some vague recollection of hearing the term in the art world before, but no real understanding of what it is or what it means. But, I found a great article online that helps explain Wabi Sabi - which basically sums up appreciating things (nature-made things, man-made things, all things) in your environment in exactly their natural state...often a state of wearing down or decay...and understanding the beauty of the natural progression. "It’s the subtle art of being at peace with yourself and your surroundings." These days, I think American artists also think of Wabi Sabi in terms of "recyled" or "upcycled" art. I haven't embarked on a Wabi Sabi art journey myself (yet), and maybe I never will, since I favor bright colors over muted. (I do have the occasional old barn or wagon painti...

After the paintings dried, I got out a stamp I had designed and carved several years ago but never used. The stamp is a Kokopelli with some ebellishments. I drew the design on a piece of linoleum (purchased from art supply catalog) and then carved around it with carving tools. It would seem easy, but actually carving the stamp was more difficult than I had expected.  Then, as many of my ideas do, it sat in a drawer for a long time...until I finally decided to pull it out and use it for my "breaking through" painting - six years later! Oh well. Better later than never! :) Here is the stamp I applied paint to the stamp with a brush and then stamped the two paintings - trying to apply it in a similar spot and direction on each paper. After the stamp paint had dried, I pulled the bits of tape off and rubbed off the masking fluid to reveal the saved whites. Then, it was time to cut both paintings into strips and weave together to make one...

As of last Spring, when my "King of Yellow Heart" painting was accepted to the Utah Watercolor Society (UWS) Spring Show, I became what is called a "Two Star" member of the UWS. There are levels of membership you can work for in the society. A Two Star member is someone who has been accepted to two Spring shows (which are very competitive). The shows are juried by a well-known artist the society has brought in for the Spring workshop. The next level (which I am still working towards) is to become a Signature Member, which requires being accepted into eight shows (UWS Spring Show, UWS Fall Show, or the Western Federation Show)...AND you must win a major award in one of the shows.  Obviously, this takes time to achieve as all the shows are very competitive, so this status is a mark of accomplishment. Currently, I have three of the eight shows required, but no major awards...and this has taken me 10 years of membership to achieve so far. Though, to be fair, there ha...