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The Importance of Experiments
Playing with art by making studies and using many materials and various styles to paint the same thing, is one way artists develop skill.
Jennifer Gillen
Sep 26, 20233 min read
19 views

Finding Inspiration in Food
I'm a notably bad cook, baker, and dinner-maker. And my sense of taste when it comes to food is not particularly fine. On most days, I...
Jennifer Gillen
Jun 5, 20232 min read
11 views


Coming Back
Yes, real artists do quit. But they also restart. My last blog post was about exploring new avenues of creating. I wanted to know what...
Jennifer Gillen
Mar 12, 20232 min read
16 views


The Systematic Nature of Watercolor
I like order and systems. It’s not what first comes to mind when people think about art. The popular idea about creating art is that it...
Jennifer Gillen
Aug 18, 20222 min read
21 views


Gray Background & Vignetting Removed!
Fixing the gray background on a botanical painting photograph.
Jennifer Gillen
Jul 29, 20222 min read
15 views


Artist's Hand: Proof of Presence
Hand is the trace left by the artist that lets you know it was crafted by a human.
Jennifer Gillen
Jul 16, 20223 min read
20 views


What's Up with White Backgrounds?
The straight-forward, no-nonsense appearance of white backgrounds is really appealing to me now. No, I'm not just being lazy! Keeping the...
Jennifer Gillen
Jun 8, 20222 min read
21 views


Shakespeare and the Camellias
A few weeks ago, I was on a long drive home from visiting my daughter who is away at college. Listening to audio books and podcasts helps...
Jennifer Gillen
Mar 6, 20222 min read
24 views


The Camellias
Last February, I visited a botanical garden during an unseasonably warm afternoon. It was an overcast day. The clouds created moody...
Jennifer Gillen
Mar 5, 20222 min read
23 views


The Artistic Voice
If you can walk into a museum filled with art and identify the artists without looking at the placard, then you understand artistic...
Jennifer Gillen
Feb 19, 20222 min read
50 views


Painting in the Time of Climate Change
How reading and climate change lead to a new painting series.
Jennifer Gillen
Nov 27, 20212 min read
22 views


Collecting Original Art
It's human nature to collect things. A lot of people find joy in certain objects. My husband collects sports jerseys and sports...
Jennifer Gillen
Oct 28, 20214 min read
16 views


Painting a Realistic Rose in Watercolor
How I paint large roses in watercolor. This is a technical post for those who are curious.
Jennifer Gillen
Jun 22, 20213 min read
47 views


Five Ways to Power Through
Some of my paintings take 50+ hours to complete. Here's how I make it through very slow work--and it's not just patience!
Jennifer Gillen
Aug 26, 20193 min read
19 views
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