“Landscapes” Artist’s Series Statement:
My love of landscape originally developed from the discipline of plein air painting. For me, the immersion ‘in’ the landscape is transportive. These days I find myself taking excursions for hiking/reference trips and although I'm working on pieces in the studio, when I hear my viewers say “oh, I want to be there”, I know that I’ve tapped into their need for 'immersion' as well.
I am attracted to lush landscapes whether 'in the wild' or structured gardens. Within these lush scenes, multiple views of an area become a point of interest for me. Although I’m not doing diptychs or triptychs, I am understanding the grandeur within a microcosm, like Monet and his repetition of waterlilies. In just a few steps a scene can change so dramatically that I am drawn to keep the area but with a different view and/or creating works in separate mediums.
I currently paint watercolor on YUPO or acrylic paints. I am attracted to The vibrancy of color and luminous nature that the synthetic paper (YUPO) affords. It also enables me to explore textures, be bold, and achieve the ‘lush’ escape I’m going for. Concurrently, the use of acrylics with palette knives pushes me further into an impressionistic expression with the added excitement of thick texture.
I am drawn not only to the beauty within a scene, but am careful to include beckoning elements of light/shadow, repetition and depth. Scenes chosen revolve around a dance of light and shadow and it's own sense of invitation to explore; pathways are common to include for this reason. Quiet, hidden, reflective/introspective....lush; these are things I look for. I am polarized by scenes that make me forget my troubles and I feel "enveloped", even if just for a moment.
“Genre” Series Artist Statement:
Watercolor on Yupo has been a challenge and recent focus for my everyday-life scenes involving portraiture. I had been painting landscapes as a way to escape my troubles; and throughout covid, I began to experiment with media, mediums and techniques that I'd never tried before; such as watercolor on Yupo, a synthetic paper. I also spent a lot of time with close family (during covid lock-downs) and so my love for genre themes continued to grow and become very personal. This personal nature involves my affections, feelings, and light-hearted approach as my real midwest reality wears upon my sleeve. I consider myself a 'deep thinker', but I'm always looking for the humor in life. I share deeper thoughts on individual pieces I have on Artreprenuer.
Although Yupo is known for it's ease in subtractive painting, I paint in a layered add-on approach... very seldomly 'erasing' what I've laid down. This approach is more painstaking in having to only lay one pass down at a time followed by the time it takes to fully dry in-between passes (because we are talking about evaporation on plastic).. but this method gives me a distinctive look and feel that is uncommon for most purveyors of Yupo. I also find myself using watercolor pencils and ink as well.
Would you like to see a history of ALL the art I've done?: -All art including Commissions-
Current News and Events (in no particular order)
• Artists Magazine, "40th Annual Art Competition", I received Second Place in the landscape division.
• Ohio Art League, "Spring Show", Upper Arlington Concourse Gallery from May 8 – July 12, 2024
• Received an Honorable Mention for the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, "Luminous Landscapes", Online show April 13th - May 3rd
• Ohio Watercolor Society "WatercolorOhio 2023 Travel Show" through April @ Piqua Public Library (Piqua, OH)
• Allied Artists of America,"110th Annual Online Exhibition" September 1, 2023 - September 1, 2024
• Interview. "Meet Jennifer Sowders" CanvasRebel
• Juror: 7th Annual Midwest Sculpture Initiative for the City of Fostoria Ohio
• Accepted: 2024 National Watercolor Society Member Exhibition, May/June (Virtual Exhibition)
• Solo show: Schedel Gardens - April 2 - June 13, 2024 "Meet the Artist" reception April 7, 2024 2-4pm (Elmore, OH)
• Artist's talk with the Central Ohio Watercolor Society 4/14 (Worthington, OH)
• Accepted into The Ohio Watercolor Society's: "WatercolorOhio 2024" The show will be at the Middletown Arts Center in Middletown, Ohio this year.
...Upcoming...
• Solo Show: July 6, - Aug. 31, 2024 Marcia Evans Gallery (Columbus, OH) Opening reception July 6th 12noon-8pm.
• 2025 Holden Forests & Garden (Cleveland, OH)