Jenny Davis Watercolors

Portrait of a Girl

2012-01-16T15:57:00.002-05:00

Finished this one in December. :-) I have some more new things to post too - will do that soon.

In progress...

2011-11-02T17:29:00.003-05:00

I started this way back in August (late July, actually) and have been plodding along ever since... but it'll be worth it when it's done. Really not much left to do - just need to fill in a few of the bare patches on the skirt, finish the shawl and the balls of string, finish the sash, and do some touch-ups.

Mad Dog

2011-10-17T17:30:00.003-05:00

I drew this one this afternoon (ink on illustration board). It's tiny - about 3"x2". I find myself suddenly very interested in demented, disturbed, and otherwise ugly dogs... might be a new series.

On a side note, I do have a larger watercolor painting in the works - I've just been keeping it to myself until I get more work done on it. It's finally close to done, so I'll post a picture of it soon.

25 Artists to Watch

2011-10-17T17:27:00.001-05:00

I'm honored to be included in Watercolor Magazine's "25 Artists to Watch," along with two of my favorite artists, Molly Brose and Mary Chiaramonte. The article starts on page 54 of the fall 2011 issue.

I also got a lovely mention in Courtney Jordan's interview with Naomi Ekperigin (editor of Watercolor Magazine), over at Artist Daily. To be mentioned in the same article with Edward Hopper and Mary Cassatt (who has always been one of my favorite artists) is unspeakably cool. :-)

Some old sketches & doodles

2011-09-27T14:33:00.003-05:00

Some random doodles...

And some sketches from work...

Illusion, Disguise, and Camouflage

2011-08-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

A while back, The Arts Center in Orange approached me with the opportunity to organize a group show. I'm happy to announce that the resulting exhibition, "Illusion, Disguise, and Camouflage," will run from September 1 - October 31, 2011. The artwork in the exhibit represents the artists' interpretation of the theme of illusion, disguise, and camouflage - the interplay between things seen and unseen. Featured artists include Mary Chiaramonte, Laura Edwards, Laurel Hausler, Christine Parson, Lisa Schumaier, and myself. The opening reception will be held September 1st from 5-7PM.

The Arts Center in Orange
129 East Main Street
Orange, VA 22960

Crossing the Alps - Finished

2011-08-25T13:54:00.003-05:00

24"x18"

Finished this commission last Sunday and it's definitely one of my favorites. Several things differ from the original Jacques-Louis David: the subject (the client replaces Napoleon), the size (of canvas and also the ratio of length to width), the stones (Napoleon's name is replaced with the Latinate form of the client's name; Bonaparte replaces Karolus Magnus [Charlemagne] so that there aren't two Karoluses right next to each other), and the flag (colonial American flag replaces the French flag in keeping with the client's nationality). So altogether, we have a modern Karolus leading the colonial American army across the Alps. :-)

Geishas

2011-08-25T13:47:00.003-05:00

All finished and framed. One (the geisha in green, bottom left) is already sold, the other three will be in an upcoming show at The Arts Center in Orange for $125 each. I'll probably do more mixed media work of this size and a similar theme in the future.

Crossing the Alps

2011-07-19T11:11:00.004-05:00

Slowly but surely.

Got the mane done, as well as the horse's head. Only thing left to do on the horse is the lower legs, reins, and the tail; then I just have to fill in a few thin spots in the cloak behind the horse's head and finish the background.

Crossing the Alps

2011-06-29T18:39:00.003-05:00

Another in-progress shot... Not all that much left to do, really, but a lot of the remaining details are going to take some time.

Geisha #2 (Geisha in Yellow)

2011-06-28T14:07:00.004-05:00

6"x6"

Having a lot of fun with these little geishas. :-)
Though it doesn't show very well in this scan, that's copper leaf on her hair accessories. This is an actual pose from a Japanese fan dance, though I did take some artistic license with it.

Portrait of Fiona

2011-06-19T10:20:00.003-05:00

9.5"x6.25"

This is a commissioned portrait I did in May. I had a lot of fun working on it and especially enjoyed the colors and the challenge of painting the silver chain and pendant. I'm really happy with how it turned out. :-)

Geisha #1 (Geisha in Green)

2011-06-16T19:40:00.005-05:00

This is a mini mixed media piece I did over the last weekend. Ink, watercolor, Japanese paper, and gold leaf on illustration board. The entire piece is 6"x6", and the image is about 4"x3". I did the pen and ink drawing first, then laid down a few washes of watercolor for the skin and more ink for the hair. I used an x-acto knife to cut the paper and applied the gold leaf last, and finished it up by applying a few more lines of ink over top of the paper. I really enjoyed making this one and love the format. There's also a special challenge and fun to slicing up colorful papers. :-) This'll be the first in a series of androgenous geishas.

Who's That Crossing the Alps?

2011-05-14T19:31:00.007-05:00

Not Napoleon.*

Here's an 18"x24" commission I've been working on. It's after Jacques-Louis David's portrait of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, but with a slight change.*

It's all acrylic, so it's a change from what I'm used to, but a whole lot of fun. I'm really enjoying the concept (other details will be tweaked from the original JLD, including the names carved in the foreground and the flag) and I'm having a lot of fun with the challenge of the different medium. It's really a different way of thinking; in watercolor, I paint light to dark, in acrylic... well, I'm pretty much painting whatever I want, in whatever order I feel like. But I'm doing a lot more broad areas of color and building up the shadows as I go, rather than leaving the darks for last. I've also been dividing my time between this and a watercolor painting, and whenever I switch between the two, it kind of gives me pause, and I have to take a few moments get back into the right mode.

Anyway, I'm almost done with this one. The background is almost done (just need to finish the soldiers and flag, and touch-up the sky and mountains with another layer or so). Most of the horse is done, and so is the face.

I love this painting so much, I've been thinking I ought to do more copies like it...

*(It's the client crossing the Alps.) :-)

New Stuff

2011-05-14T18:03:00.000-05:00

I've been working on building my illustration portfolio whenever I can. These two are some of my favorites so far.

"Rats." Ink and watercolor on plate illustration board.

"Crows." Ink on plate illustration board.

Frog Prince

2010-11-12T16:25:00.002-05:00

Ink & watercolor on illustration board.

Black Mask

2010-11-04T18:54:00.003-05:00

Finished this one up a couple weeks ago. I really enjoyed the challenge of interpreting all of the colors that give the appearance of the shiny black mask (which I also made: clay & glossy black paint). I'm looking forward to making some more masks and exploring this theme more. I'll post a better photo and some detail images of "this one" (still working on a good title for it) soon.

Masquerade #5

2010-09-19T14:21:00.004-05:00

Finished this one up back in August. I painted the ink lines with a fine point brush and added watercolor washes before applying gold leaf. The Japanese paper was applied last; it's not quite visible in these pictures, but the underskirt has a pattern of waves, and the other bit of white skirt is patterned with cranes.

Long time...

2010-06-07T12:45:00.004-05:00

... no post. Been pretty busy lately, though not as busy as this guy'll be with the clippers.

"New Growth"
13.5"x16.5"
Ink and watercolor on archival plate illustration board

This is the largest painting I've done since January and also the first large painting I've done on plate illustration board. The surface definitely took some getting used to (I practiced on scraps before attempting this size - I'm used to cold press/vellum surfaces). Also need to build up my strength - I underestimated how hard it would be to cut 4 ply illustration board! My arm was sore after chopping up just one board.

I used a fine point, round synthetic brush to paint on the ink lines, and a larger brush for the color washes. I really enjoyed working on this. I'll be doing more like it (in style, size, media) when I get the chance... Which may take a while, seeing as I have summer grad classes as well as work.

I do also have some miniature paintings that I've done over the past several months, which I'll post pictures of one day soon.

Exposed

2010-02-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

This month, my painting Solitude will be featured in the eighth annual Trinity Presbyterian Church juried art show. Titled "Exposed," this year's show was juried by F. Lennox Campello and will hang in Norfolk's Mayer Fine Art gallery from February 6 to February 26. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 6 from 7:30 to 10:00PM.

Mayer Fine Art
333 Waterside Drive, Suite 252
Norfolk, VA 23510

Solitude

2010-01-14T13:14:00.002-05:00

30"x22"

Untitled... still.

2010-01-04T18:18:00.002-05:00

About halfway done now.

Untitled... for now.

2009-12-25T15:40:00.004-05:00

Started this back in November. I've been waiting to post it because I wanted it to be recognizable as a girl in a mask, instead of just an insane splatter of squiggly colors (which is what it looked like for several weeks). It was slow going at first, but now that I'm out of school again, I've been making a lot more progress on it, and it's finally starting to come together. Still a lot of work left, though - I wouldn't say it's any more than halfway done, if that.

The painting is a full sheet of watercolor paper (30"x22") and the mask is one I made in late October/early November with air-dry clay and chrome spray paint.

Still working on a title for the painting...

Portrait of a Boy

2009-11-07T13:34:00.003-05:00

Finished this one back in the summer. It's one of my favorites. He has such beautiful eyes. :-)

Quick Sketch

2009-11-03T20:20:00.005-05:00

Been busy making more masks so I can then make some new paintings. I've gotten a bunch done, so I hope to have some new work to show soon. :-)
For now, here's a life drawing of my dog George, done in Photoshop.

New Painting

2009-09-25T18:11:00.003-05:00

So my new fascination is metal, particularly metallic masks. I like the contrast of the hard mask against the soft face, the abstract shapes and swirls within the metal, and the challenge of imitating a metallic surface using ordinary paint. I also enjoy making the masks to use as props (I've made three so far). I think this is the start of a new series. :-)

Still working on the title for this painting... It took about 3 weeks start to finish.

Updates

2009-07-16T16:35:00.002-05:00

Updated with final photos and some detail shots of Michael, Katherine, Michael, and Rebecca.

KPF (Finished)

2009-07-16T16:09:00.003-05:00

Finished this one on 7/7.

Revamped Website

2009-07-05T20:27:00.002-05:00

Just to let everyone know, I revamped my other (.Mac) website, so if you have it bookmarked, you may need to change your links - the URL changed slightly. To get to it now, just type http://web.mac.com/jennydavisartwork into your browser's address bar (and, if you want to add it, bookmark the new website, since its full URL differs from the old one).

I'm still tweaking some things here and there (don't worry, the URL won't change again). Comments on the new look are welcome. :-)

Olaf's New Hobby, Boba Fett, & Other Scribbles

2009-06-27T15:19:00.006-05:00

I started this with the intention to draw some kind of enraged barbarian horde leader.
Then it became... this.

And I named him Olaf.

(Can you blame him for wearing a leotard? Really, with legs like that, how could you not show them off?)

Also, some quick scribbles of Boba Fett (of Star Wars fame) - the digital one took about 1 minute, the pencil sketches each took less. What do you think? Do you recognize him?

And a little (very little) change to this old painting, which is still in progress and will be finished one of these days...

Really not much left to do to it. Just need to finish her shoe and make it so she doesn't look like she's floating in a green void. Or maybe I'll leave it that way. Who knows.

Also worked more on KPF today, but ain't got a picture yet - will post new pics soon; I want to wait until the progress has been a bit more dramatic before I do. :-)

KPF

2009-06-19T14:26:00.003-05:00

Started this one a few days ago... It's about 21"x14". Almost done with the face; I need to finish the hair so that there's some contrast before I add anymore color to her skin.

Michael (Finished)

2009-06-01T12:59:00.008-05:00

Finally finished. :-)

"Stimulus"

2009-05-24T18:56:00.003-05:00

Three of my paintings will be featured in a group show, "Stimulus," at Nevin Kelly Gallery from June 6th to July 11th. The show features a variety of very talented local artists, and all artwork in the show will be priced at $500 or less. From Nevin Kelly Gallery:

"The gallery presents "Stimulus," a group exhibition of works by local artists to stimulate the mind and the economy. All works in the show will be priced at $500 or less, many at limited-opportunity prices. Participating artists include John M. Adams, Sondra N. Arkin, Joan Belmar, Anne Bouie, Molly Brose, Lenny Campello, Mary Chiaramonte, Anna U. Davis, Jenny Davis, Thomas Drymon, Stirling Elmendorf, Pat Goslee, Emily Greene Liddle, Laurel Hausler, J. Ford Huffman, Rosalind Kennedy, Mark Parascandola, Anneliese Sullivan, Ming Yi Sung Zaleski, Ruth Trevarrow, Claudia Vess, and Ellyn Weiss."

The opening reception will be Tuesday, June 16, 5:30-8:30PM.

Masquerade #4 (Detail)

Second Thursday at the Torpedo Factory (Studio Time)

2009-05-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

I will be in Studio 15 at the Torpedo Factory Thursday, May 14. It's Second Thursday at the Factory, and this month's theme is All About Dogs - so I'll have some doggie artwork up, along with a few portraits. Come visit me and my talented mom in the studio, meet our four-legged mascot, and enjoy free refreshments!

From the Torpedo Factory Art Center:

Second Thursday Art Night
All About Dogs
Thursday, May 14
6-9pm

Browse open studios, meet the artists and their canine companions, and enjoy refreshments, available for both our two and four-legged guests at this free event. A map of studios with artwork inspired by man's best friend will be available for guests.

Experience the urban contemporary art scene first hand in Target Gallery from 6-8pm with the reception for the show FRESH. DJ Phill provides tunes in the gallery from 6-8pm. At 7pm, hear a gallery talk from the juror about his selection of work for the show.

From 6:30-8pm, The Art League Gallery hosts the reception for the All-Media Membership Show and Progression , Suzanne Yurdin's solo show.

Give a home to an animal in need at a pet adoption event sponsored by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Help contribute to animals in our community with a donation to this vital organization.

Enter a free prize drawing for a chance to win artwork by Lisa Schumaier. Enjoy fun activities throughout the night!

Freedom!

2009-05-10T20:02:00.005-05:00

I finally finished all my term papers and final exams, and have - for the first time in a long time - absolutely nothing to do that's not art-related. It's a wonderful feeling! Graduation's Saturday, and meanwhile I'm painting and drawing to my heart's content. I'm almost done with my current portrait commission (will post a picture soon). I've also been working on some dog art (which will be in Studio 15 of the Torpedo Factory this Thursday).

Here's a digital painting I've been working on in the evenings - it's really coming together and I love that I've actually had the time to do it.

More Frogs!

2009-04-21T19:47:00.008-05:00

Finally got around to photographing my favorite book that I made last fall. Here are the illustrations:

These are all linoleum block prints on Arches cover white (signatures of the book) and buff (end papers). I'm still amazed at how perfectly the Crane Attack image lined up - it's printed on two separate signatures, so I had to cut the plate in half and print each half separately and hope they aligned correctly when I sewed everything together. (The photo I posted earlier of the Crane Attack is of a print I pulled before I cut the block.) Anyway, I'm really pleased with how the book came out and I would love to do more book making one day.

Michael

2009-04-19T18:02:00.003-05:00

This one's about 1/3 to 1/2 way done. I should be able to get it finished in the next few weeks, or as soon as my homework load eases up a bit.

Rebecca (Finished)

2009-04-19T17:59:00.005-05:00

Finished this one a few weeks ago.

Crane Attack

2009-01-28T19:16:00.008-05:00

I felt guilty not posting anything in so long, so here's a linoleum block print I did in November. Did it as part of a final project in my Book Arts class. If I had the finished book and a working camera here with me, I'd post more pictures. (One day I will photograph the whole book--and its companion--and post it.)

Anyway, this is from my retelling of "The Frogs Desiring a King," one of Aesop's fables. It's 7"x10."

Also, I updated my other site with another digital painting. Go see.
:-)

Rebecca

2009-01-16T15:40:00.004-05:00

16"x13"
It's about 1/3 of the way done.

Incidentally, sorry about the lack of posts lately. Been exceedingly busy, even over break. Hopefully things will improve and I'll have more time to paint (and post) this spring.

"The Portrait"

2008-12-22T15:24:00.007-05:00

Two of my paintings (Courtney and Blue Skies) will be included in a group show in The Arts Center in Orange this January. The show, titled "The Portrait," will be on display from January 8 to January 31, 2009, and features the work of Francisco Centofanti, Paolo Coppini, Thomas Marsh, Bradley Stevens, Henry Wingate, and myself. The opening reception is Thursday, January 8 at 6:30PM.

Exhibit details: Artist bios and websites

129 East Main Street
Orange, Virginia 22960
540-672-7311
artscenterorange.org

Katherine (Finished)

2008-11-30T19:18:00.005-05:00

Finished this afternoon.

Katherine

2008-10-26T15:36:00.005-05:00

17.5"x11.5"

This one's about 1/3 of the way done.

Michael

2008-09-28T18:43:00.007-05:00

Finished last Sunday.

16"x12"

The Frog Prince

2008-09-26T18:18:00.004-05:00

So I just got Photoshop and an Intuos3 and I am having a LOT of fun with them. I had no idea how addictive they would be. :-)

I'll be posting more soon... I did finish the portrait I was working on, so I'll photograph that and post it this weekend.

Monks

2008-09-15T16:18:00.003-05:00

My school's hosting a group of Tibetan monks this week, so I got to pop in (and sketch) the opening ceremony for the creation of a sand mandala. It was really cool--

These are actually the first sketches I've done from life in a long time (lately I've been more into my characters). But this was really fun to draw, really neat and definitely not something you see every day.

Anyway, I'm just about done with the painting I'm working on (Michael). I'll have it finished by next weekend and hopefully post it then, too.

Michael

2008-08-23T14:09:00.004-05:00

16"x12"

Started this one last Sunday.

Courtney

2008-07-25T10:42:00.004-05:00

24"x17"
Finished this one last week.

(Detail)

(Detail)

New Website!

2008-07-19T19:52:00.005-05:00

So I just finished redesigning my .Mac site... Added lots of new work. I would love to hear any comments, especially about the new stuff (it's really new). Go here to see, and drop a line (jenny underscore davis at comcast dot net) or comment at the bottom of this post.

Oh, and I just finished a new painting, so I'll be posting that in a few days (as soon as I flatten it - it's really curly right now).

Kit

2008-07-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

16.5"x12.25"
Finished.

(Detail)

(Detail)

Studio Space

2008-06-30T07:25:00.003-05:00

I'll be subleasing studio space in the Torpedo Factory this summer. My work will be in studio 3 from July 9 to July 25, and I'll be working Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and some Wednesdays. Feel free to drop by to talk or to see more of my work.

Kit

2008-06-24T14:56:00.002-05:00

Started this one last week. It's about 16"x12", and around halfway done... or maybe a little more than half.

"Early Look"

2008-05-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

My painting Blue Skies will be featured in "Early Look," an undergraduate art show curated by F. Lennox Campello. The show will hang in Long View Gallery in D.C. from June 7th to July 5th, with the opening reception on Saturday, June 7th, from 5-8PM.

More information about the show and sneak peaks of some of the work to be featured can be found on Mr. Campello's blog, Daily Campello Art News.

Long View Gallery
1302 9th ST NW
Washington, DC 20001
All week, 11 AM - 7 PM
202.232.4788

Another Oil Painting

2008-05-29T11:50:00.003-05:00

18"x24"

Here's that oil painting I said I'd post. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

(I know I keep saying I'll post more watercolors soon...
... and I will...
... soon. Summer's been really busy so far. But that's a good thing.)

In the meantime, I have some news for an upcoming post...

Finally, a Post!

2008-04-17T19:53:00.004-05:00

So I've been utterly swamped with homework lately and haven't had much time for posting - but I finally have the time and a picture! Here's something I did for my oil painting class:

This one is 14"x11" and took about six hours. The first three hours were from life and the rest were done from a reference photo and memory.

I'll have more oils to post in the coming weeks, along with new watercolors. Right now I have two completed watercolors and one in progress that I haven't photographed yet, so I'll probably be posting those late this month or in May, as soon as I get some free time.

NSAL Traveling Show Reviewed at the DCist

2008-03-05T14:49:00.003-05:00

Kelly Rand of the DCist recently reviewed the NSAL's Water Media on Paper Traveling Exhibit, which is currently residing in Nevin Kelly Gallery. An excerpt from the article reads:

"Top prize of $10,000 went to local watercolor artist Jenny Davis, a student at Saint Mary's College... Her winning entry, Portrait of Tess (pictured), is striking. It is a soft watercolor with subtle color shifts that makes her subject almost too perfect to be real."

You can find the whole article here.

Nevin Kelly Gallery Blog
National Society of Arts and Letters

NSAL Traveling Show Comes to DC

2008-02-08T08:12:00.002-05:00

The National Society of Arts and Letters' Water Media on Paper Competition traveling show will be in Nevin Kelly Gallery from February 27th to March 23rd. The show features the work of the competition's finalists. The opening reception is Thursday, February 28th, 5:30-7:30PM. (See press release for details.)

Nevin Kelly Gallery
1517 U Street NW
Washington DC 20009

National Society of Arts and Letters

Aidan

2008-02-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

Finally got around to photographing this one. :-)

Little Girl #3

2008-01-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

I finished this one back in July but only just now got around to photographing it. I love this little one. It's just 3.25"x3.25".

Oh, and I updated with a better photo of Lily.

Little Girl #2

2008-01-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

3.25"x3.25"

This is one of my favorites. I finished this one back in July, but I guess I forgot to post it here.

New Work

2008-01-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back for a lovely three-day weekend and have had an amazing first week back at school - I actually had free time to draw and paint! I have lots of new stuff to post this weekend.

I was fortunate enough recently to attend a concert by the Artis-Quartett Wien. My friend and me got seats in the front row and were bowled over by the performance. I brought my sketchbook with me and drew the group while they played - I think I went through about 17 pages. It was an awesome experience and a huge challenge to try to capture the motions of the musicians. Afterwards we got to meet the quartet and get their autographs.

(From left to right, Peter Schuhmayer, 1st violin; Johannes Meissl, 2nd violin; Herbert Kefer, viola; and Othmar Müller, violoncello.)

Here are some of the better sketches from the night-

Aidan

2007-12-30T19:46:00.000-05:00

About halfway done...

Aidan

2007-12-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Started this one this afternoon. It's about 11.25"x12".

Lily #1

2007-12-21T13:55:00.000-05:00

11"x11.5"
Finished yesterday.
I also started a painting of her big brother today, so I'll post a picture of that as soon as I clean up for the day.

Lily

2007-12-17T15:29:00.000-05:00

About 90% done... The dress just needs finishing.

Lily

2007-12-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

11.5"x11"

I started this one a couple weeks ago. It's a little less than halfway done - I just need to finish the dress (which won't take long), add some more color and touch-ups to the face, finish the hair, and - obviously - finish that ear. I'll be out of school in a few days, so I ought to be able to finish this in the next 1-2 weeks.

Portrait of Janice

2007-12-04T08:39:00.000-05:00

17"x19.5"

Finished this commission on Thanksgiving Day. It's one of my favorites.

Trading Spaces

2007-11-19T19:27:00.000-05:00

My painting Katelynn will be featured in the Trading Spaces exhibition in Artspace this winter. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Artspace is the nation's second largest open studio art center (the largest being The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA). Trading Spaces is a two-part art center exchange between Artspace and the TFAC. Last year, Artspace artists submitted works for a juried show in the Torpedo Factory; this year, Torpedo Factory artists have entered a juried show at Artspace. Part two of Trading Spaces was juried by Artspace's Director of Programs and Exhibitions and three members of the Artspace Gallery Committee. The show will be held in Artspace's Gallery Two from November 30, 2007 to January 26, 2008.

This'll be a really fun show. My mom will be in it, too.

There's an opening reception Friday, December 4.

Artspace
201 East Davie Street
Raleigh, NC

(Sleeping) Figures

2007-11-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

There's only so much coffee can do before you just conk out on the floor in your 9AM class. Actually, class hadn't started yet. And actually, he was on a carpeted wooden platform, not the floor. So there's only so much coffee can do before you conk out on a carpeted platform while waiting for your class to start at 9AM. :-)

You can tell it's exam time around here. Everyone's sleeping.
Still haven't had much (meaning any) time to paint lately... Hopefully I'll be able to get some work done this weekend.

A Quick Post...

2007-11-02T08:57:00.000-05:00

Wow, so it's been more than a month since I've posted anything. Oops.

I haven't had the time to do much of anything lately, let alone update my sketchblog. I'm drowning in homework and my digital camera's decided it's time for it to break.

Anyway...

My current painting is a surprise, which is why I haven't posted any pictures of it yet. I'll probably have it done by the end of November, maybe earlier. I'll post a picture when it's done.

For now, here's a few sketches from class.

Portrait of Sophia

2007-09-25T13:39:00.001-05:00

Finished this one on Saturday.

Also updated with a better picture of the Portrait of Clare.

Watercolor Magazine

2007-09-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to announce that Watercolor Magazine will be featuring me in this year's fall issue. The new issue goes on sale September 18. Keep an eye out for me. :-)

The World Is a Doughnut.

2007-09-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of new painting posts. Right now I'm working on another commission, which I'll post as soon as it's finished. In the meantime, here's some scribbles from my Philosophy class.

My professor, making a point.

And some blind contour drawings. I just thought these were funny. :-)

Art Activated (2)

2007-09-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

Art Activated was a blast! Thanks to everyone who came, and a double thanks to everyone who volunteered to model!

I ended up going through 4 pieces of paper. It's interesting to see the progression of the drawings - the 3rd and 4th pieces of paper really show how much looser my hand got as time passed. Here's pictures of all of the drawings from that day.

New Website!

2007-09-05T12:33:00.001-05:00

The domain name will probably change eventually, but for now I have a new, second website. I'll still keep this sketchblog up and running, but the website will have more information about my work and it will also have all of my paintings in a gallery (as opposed to jumbled around in archives). It's still under construction, though, so the gallery there isn't yet as complete as the archives of this sketchblog.

Art Activated

2007-08-27T16:51:00.000-05:00

As part of the Alexandria Festival of the Arts, the Torpedo Factory Art Center will be featuring Art Activated on Saturday, September 8. From 12PM-4PM, this free event will combine artist demonstrations with live modern dance by BosmaDance. I'll be giving drawing demonstrations throughout the day, and I would love it if audience members would model for me! My demonstrations will be from 12-1, 1:30-2:30, and 3-4, and I'll be on a different floor of the building each time. Here's the full schedule for the day:

12:00 – 1:00

On the Wheel, Pottery demonstration with David Norton - Studio 22

Bits and Pieces, drawing body parts with Jenny Davis - Mid area, First Floor - Audience is asked to model

Champagne Cork Chairs Workshop with Lisa Schumaier - Studio 16 **

History Inspired Drawing - Archaeology, Room 327 **

Draw or paint patterns inspired by designs discovered on salt-glazed stoneware pottery shards excavated from local archeological sites.

Fiber Production Techniques with Springwater Fiber Workshop – Dock Area Lobby

** Felting, spinning, weaving, knitting, and more

1:00 – 2:00

On the Wheel, Pottery demonstration with David Norton - Studio 22

History Inspired Drawing - Archaeology, Room 327 **

Champagne Cork Chairs Workshop with Lisa Schumaier - Studio 16 **

Fiber Production Techniques with Springwater Fiber Workshop – Dock Area Lobby **

1:30 – 2:30

Bits and Pieces, drawing body parts with Jenny Davis, Third Floor Central Area - Audience is asked to model

2:00 – 3:00

On the Wheel, Pottery demonstration with David Norton - Studio 22

Fiber Production Techniques with Springwater Fiber Workshop – Dock Area Lobby **

Champagne Cork Chairs Workshop with Lisa Schumaier - Studio 16 **

Clothed Figure Drawing with Marjorie Forgues, Art League Gallery, Studio 21

Immediate Figure Sculpture with Tatyana Schremko

Enameling On Silver with Don Viehman, Studio 205

History Inspired Drawing - Archaeology, Room 327 **

How I Designed Two Postage Stamps and Lived to Tell About It by Jim Dean -Studio 306 (From watercolor sketch to finished stamp)

Huge Blossoms on Tiny Canvasses with Joan Holoviak, Studio 342

What Was She Thinking, The story behind the painting -- Kathy Beynette, Studio 7

2 – 4 pm

Printmaking Demonstrations – Studio 325

3:00 – 4:00

On the Wheel, Pottery demonstration with David Norton - Studio 22

Fiber Production Techniques with Springwater Fiber Workshop – Dock Area Lobby **

Champagne Cork Chairs Workshop with Lisa Schumaier - Studio 16 **

Immediate Figure Sculpture with Tatyana Schremko - Studio 32 **

Watercolor Painting with Peter Ulrich, Location Art League Gallery, Studio 21

The New Silver, working with metal clay to create fine silver jewelry with Barbro Ericksdotter Gendel, Studio 201

Bits and Pieces, drawing body parts with Jenny Davis, Second Floor Crossover -- Audience is asked to model

History Inspired Drawing - Archaeology, Room 327 **

Small Portrait Painting with Mary Ann Stevens, Studio 314

Rocks in Acrylics or Metallics with Susan Makara, Studio 339

New School, New Drawings

2007-08-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

So I won't be posting any paintings for a few more weeks, since I didn't bring my supplies to my new dorm and can't paint here (yet). But I'll be working that out soon. In the meantime, here are a few sketches I did at various long and boring orientation meetings.

NSAL Career Awards Traveling Show

2007-08-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

The work of the NSAL's National Career Awards finalists will be traveling the country through May of next year. The exhibition will visit El Paso, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; St. Louis, Missouri; Marietta, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Champaign, Illinois. Here's the full schedule:

August 22 - September 16
International Museum of Art
El Paso, Texas

September 27 - November 11
Jewish Community Center
Birmingham, Alabama

November 20 - January 4
Centene Center for Arts & Education
St. Louis, Missouri

January 21 - February 15
Marietta College
Marietta, Ohio

February 27 - March 23
Nevin Kelly Gallery
Washinton, D.C.

April 1 - May 10
Green Street Studio, Inc.
Champaign, Illinois

Portrait of a Girl

2007-08-11T19:44:00.001-05:00

13.5"x12"

Portrait of a Boy

2007-08-11T19:42:00.001-05:00

13.5"X12"

Portrait of Clare... Finished

2007-08-03T17:58:00.001-05:00

Just finished it this afternoon.

John

2007-07-31T19:22:00.000-05:00

5"x8"
I did this one in 2004 of my grandpa. One of my favorite paintings, along with the one of KJ. :-)

Portrait of Clare

2007-07-29T12:46:00.002-05:00

22"x15.5"

Here's what I've been working on lately. It's about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way done... I just need to finish the dress and the hair, then go back and do some touch-ups.

Dancer #2

2007-07-14T18:32:00.000-05:00

17"x9"
Finished 7/19/07.

Dancer #2 (detail)

Dancer #2 (detail)

Dancer #1

2007-07-14T18:26:00.000-05:00

21"x12"

This one is the first in what will (hopefully) be a series of ballerinas. I had a LOT of fun painting this, and I just can't wait to work bigger.

Dancer #1 (detail)

Dancer #1 (detail)

Blue Skies

2007-06-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

26"x17"
Finished 6/21/07.

Blue Skies (detail)

Blue Skies (detail)

Seanna

2007-06-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

Started this one June 1st, but I've only just gotten around to photographing it. (Sorry about the lack of posts lately, I've been a bit busy...) Anyway, this one is about 26" by 17" and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way done.

Ballet

2007-06-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to sketch some of the dancers of the Maryland Youth Ballet as they worked. They're absolutely amazing.

They're also wonderful models. Several of the dancers stayed after class to pose for me so that I could do some more time consuming pen and ink sketches.

This was definitely the biggest challenge I've ever had. Trying to sketch the dancers as they went through their routines was incredibly difficult, but that's what I liked about it. Even sketching them as they worked at the bar was challenging - but very, very fun, and very cool. I hope to go back to MYB again soon, and in the future I may do a series of paintings of ballerinas...

Seanna & Kit

2007-05-28T12:46:00.000-05:00

Finished it today.

Studio Space

2007-05-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'll be subleasing studio space in the Torpedo Factory this summer. My work will be in studio 9 from June 1 to July 29, and I'll be working Thursdays, Fridays, and one day each weekend. Feel free to drop by to talk or to see more of my work.

NSAL 2007 National Career Award Competition (2)

2007-05-21T18:38:00.000-05:00

I just got back from Arizona, and I'm pleased to announce that my Portrait of Tess won First Place in the National Society of Arts and Letters' National Career Award Competition.

The contestants were Carrie Tompkins, Birmingham Chapter; Maureen Forman, Bloomington Chapter; Vanessa Monot, Boca Raton Chapter; Ryan Rocha, Central Illinois Chapter; Erin Saladino, Clearwater-Tampa Bay Chapter; Alfred Perez, El Paso Chapter; Tawni Shuler, Greater Arizona Chapter; Morgan Canavan, Greater Chicago Chapter; Danielle Trejo, Evanston Chapter; Will Anderson, Kansas City Chapter; Gerren Dugger, Kentucky Chapter; Amber Carraway, Little Rock Chapter; Adrian Lyjak, Mid-Michigan Chapter; Mattias Lanas, New Jersey Chapter; Kelsey Berkley, North Florida Chapter; Mark Bush, Ohio River Valley Chapter; Thommy Controy, Pittsburgh Chapter; Timothy Rusterholz, Virginia-North Carolina Chapter; and myself.

Alfred Perez received fifth prize, Tawni Shuler received fourth; Will Anderson received third; and Mark Bush received second.

This year's competition in water media was judged by M. Stephen Doherty, Editor-in-Chief of American Artist magazine; artists Robert and Louise McCall; and Dr. Mel Yoakum, Director of the F. Gilot Archives. At the award banquet, Robert McCall was presented with the 2007 National Gold Medallion for his lifetime achievements. Mr. McCall is well known for his 6 story tall mural in the National Air and Space Museum, among many other career highlights.

On Friday, the other contestants and I were privileged to take part in a Master Class taught by Robert McCall and his wife, Louise McCall, who is known for her own vibrant work as well as her collaborative work with her husband. We watched a demonstration and received critiques and encouragement from the McCalls as we worked.

I sketched Mr. McCall as he worked, and he autographed the drawing.

An exhibition of the finalists' work is currently on display in the City Hall Gallery in Tempe, Arizona. The show will be traveling across the country over the coming months.

NSAL 2007 National Career Award Competition

2007-05-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

The National Society of Arts and Letters' 2007 National Career Award Competition is taking place this weekend. An exhibition featuring the work of the finalists will be on display from May 14 to June 8 in the City Hall Gallery in Tempe, Arizona.

Seanna and Kit

2007-05-06T17:57:00.000-05:00

Got a little bit more work done on it today. I'm having so much fun painting this one - I love the contrast between the sisters, especially between the red and the blue.

Seanna and Kit

2007-05-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

15" x 15.75"

I just started this one this morning. Not much work done on it yet, but it's coming along. I'll probably have a new photo of it to post tomorrow evening, too.

Little Girl #1

2007-04-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

3.25" x 3.25"

Started this one at 12 today and finished it at 5. Record time. :-)
I love minis.

Green Eyes

2007-04-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

... finished.

Almost Done...

2007-04-24T07:41:00.000-05:00

I just need to finish that little corner of shirt, add some more shadow to the neck, finish the ear, and do some touch ups to the hair. I'll probably have it finished tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be posting a new picture of it then.

#2

2007-04-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

22"x15"

It's about 2/3 done... I should have it finished soon, if my schedule doesn't get too crowded with final exams.

Green Eyes

2007-04-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

I started this one last Sunday. It's about half sheet (22"x15").

Mentioned in the Old Town Crier

2007-04-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

In this month's issue of the Old Town Crier, art critic F. Lennox Campello reviews three local artists, including myself. An excerpt from his article reads:

"Jenny's first ever review appeared in these pages a few years ago, when I ran into some of her watercolors in her mother's studio (the talented Tanya Davis) and praised them thinking that they were Tanya's work. At the time Jenny was 13 years old and had not taken a single art lesson and was already delivering amazing and mature work."

You can find the full article here. You can also check out Mr. Campello's art criticism blog, Mid Atlantic Art News, here.