I
have always loved to paint but I never really had the time to
devote to painting. I was always too busy raising a family, working
to earn a living at an insurance company or going to night school
to get my degree in business. I handled civil and criminal liability
claims at an insurance company for almost 25 years, and before
that I sold real estate.
But circumstances forced me to
really take a good look at my life and although I had accomplished
many goals, something was missing. I wanted to do something
that I really liked and to fulfill a dream of working at home.
So a year and a half ago, I left my insurance job and started my
own art business.
My Paintings
are very different than
those of most artists in that they are drilled in a 2 ft x 2 ft
piece of birch lumber which is 1/2 on an inch thick. Once in
a while I will do a 1 ft x 2 ft painting or a 2 ft x 4 ft painting.
I free-hand sketch all of my subjects and then drill them 4 to
6 times and then sand them. The final touch is acrylic paint
in a combination of realism and immpressionism styles. All parts
of the focal point are drilled, no matter how small. Some paintings
are more labor-intensive than others and they are priced accordingly.
Often I will include a heavy relief or impasto technique as well
as the drilling, which gives the paintings a quality of solidity.
If I use oak, I often let the grain of the wood show through.
Since all paintings are free hand drawings, no two paintings
of the same subject will ever be alike. Each painting is one-of-a-kind.
My specialty
is the American
Steam Locomotive Trains, both freight and passenger lines.
Unlike most artwork that needs to be framed, these paintings are
made to be displayed without a frame or glass. Framing would hide
the unique detail of these paintings. I try to make my trains as
exact to the original locomotive as I can. I will feature more
United States steam locomotives as I obtain the original blueprints.
I also drill various types of boats
including sailboats and military boats. I will be offering more
Pennsylvania farm scenes as well as industrial scenes. I have painted
military scenes because of the influence of my father, who served
in both WWII and the Korean War. Since Washington State is like
a second home to me, I have included a lot of Washington State
scenes.
I have had exhibitions
of my paintings and a gallery showing at Lebanon
Valley College, Suzanne Arnold Gallery, of which I am an alumna.
I also write, and two of my essays
have been published in the Penn State Hershey Medical Center magazine,
Wild Onions. I am a member of the National Railway Historical
Society. I have finished two short stories and I am presently working
on a novel. Later this year, I will include some of my photography
on this site.
I am not taking any special orders
at this time. My paintings are strictly first come, first serve.
However, when you buy one of my paintings, you can be assured that
you have an original piece of artwork. I will be adding more paintings
as I finish them.
Any thoughts on my paintings can be
shared with me at info@eclectic-artshop.com.
-- Jean
