JILL'S ARTIST STATEMENT:
Early Influences
One of my earliest childhood mentors was my middle school art teacher, Russell Shaffer of Wellsburg, West Virginia. Mr. Shaffer instilled in me a newfound sense of wonder & fascination for art! He always recognized my abilities to achieve greatness in all of my creative enterprises.
I distinctly remember working on a project where we had to recreate a music album! Do you remember vinyl record covers from your childhood? For this particular assignment I chose Chaka Khan's “I Feel For You” from 1984! I remember executing this project with brightly colored chalk & Mr. Shaffer helped me achieve a spectacular result that was pretty close to the original! I loved it! But what I recall the most was his careful guidance & supportive nature, sharing technique & skill while making it look so effortless & most of all, FUN! Mr. Shaffer always made all the students feel like they could achieve their wildest dreams, including my own!
I was also very into The Calvin & Hobbes Comic Collections by Bill Watterson.
Charles Shultz's insight into the human condition fascinated me endlessly - I basically love & adore anything SNOOPY & PEANUTS!!! I still compulsively collect SNOOPY as an adult.
Ansel Adams photography. I have always been drawn the contrast & stark minimalism of his black & white photos. When I lived in California I sold his posters at a nature & science store I worked at called Natural Wonders.
And of course, Vincent Van Gogh. His landscapes, still life, & portraits always were dramatic & so expressive with heavy impasto brushstrokes, like no other!
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Intuitive Approach &
Creative Process
My artistic approach is to create an emotional connection between my subjects & the viewer & portray the soul, spirit & expressions of the animals & objects I draw. Whether they are domestic animals with whom we forge partnerships, or wild animals whose lives are mostly unknown in mysterious uncharted habitats, my goal is to reveal their true beauty. I have a deep interest in working with various media including graphite pencil, charcoal, acrylic paint, watercolors, color markers, & even those vintage crayons from my childhood, mere nubs of their former glory, yet still cherished & used reverently! I employ graphite & charcoal so I can pare my drawings down to basic elements of light, dark, texture, detail, & composition. Charcoal is the most primitive of media, but its warmth, depth & versatility are tactile & mysterious. My drawings & creations belong to no historical era, but are personal interpretations of our animal partners & the wildlife with which we share this planet. I seek to capture the unconscious grace & innate spirit of every subject I approach. I will apply my art to almost any surface: paper, wood, rocks, furniture...my hands & brushstrokes never discriminate!
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