art

Old items are new again

| jennifer barrile

In search of….

I love to haunt my local thrift store and flea market for odd or unique items to use with my art.  A recent trip to an outdoor flea market led me to purchase an unusual shaped frame that housed a mirror. I was intrigued by the mystery of the narrow rectangular shape, I knew it deserved a moody painting to adorn it…

This was my process:

 

The mirror

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Mirror deconstructed

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My first attempt to paint was a FAIL, so I began a second painting.

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Second painting,  I used acrylic paint, with iridescent silver, and ink with gesso on chip board

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Cleaned frame, added a new hanger before adding the artwork. (see full image below)

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Haven

Refuge from this wild life

I reserve a place in the hearth of the soul

The place I haunt only in dreams

Dark of night

Silver shadows take flight

Feel the moment

Quiet..

whispers all around

just the sounds of wildlife

 

-Jennifer Barrile

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

 

Begin again

| jennifer barrile

It has been almost a year since I wrote my last blog post.  Writing, I realized is something I’ve been missing, and now I decided to begin again with a weekly post, sharing my art, process, creativity or inspiration. My goal in this process of writing blog posts, is to hopefully add a little something special to someone else’s day… even if just for amusement.

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self portrait, watercolor, ink and graphite 

 

Once upon a time there was a creative soul who could not pick up a brush to paint or a pencil to draw.  The lady was distraught and thought a curse was put upon her heart to never create again.  A mini temper tantrum ensued after weeks of not making, but a little spark of inspiration guided her to just play. So the child came out to play, she played games, she played with art supplies, she doodled, she painted and made a big mess. Feelings of joy emerged which included a better outlook for her days.  Slowly breaking free from the curse of the creative slump. This creative soul realized it was alright to take a break from making art, and to refresh your mind by trying new things.  Something most important,  always be kind to yourself..

 

 

Thank you taking the time to read my post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Pop Up Shop

| jennifer barrile

Excited to announce that I have been invited to participate in a holiday market this December at Bernard Katz glass studio   in Bridgeport, PA.  I will be showcasing my new paintings, prints and art jewelry along side Bernard Katz beautiful contemporary glass art. Plenty of wonderful one of a kind, handmade items (big & small) for your holiday shopping.  Come out and meet the artists, learn about their art process and enjoy some light refreshments.

Join us on Saturday, December 1  – 11am-4pm

and Sunday December 2 – 11am – 3pm

1010 Dekalb Street (rear) Bridgeport, PA 19405 – Free parking lot

Visit Bernard Katz Glass Design    

 

Video process creating my landscape painting, mixed media on paper

Watercolor, acrylic paint, and graphite on paper, set on wood.

(song: Lost In The Light by: Bahamas)

 

 

Trimming the artwork, and placing it within the wood frame

Finished 6″x6″ mixed media art – Jennifer Barrile @JensImaginings

Thank you for stopping by! 

Let’s connect exhibit

| jennifer barrile

A community of local artists invited to create art that is based on a specific artwork in the Barnes collection located in Philadelphia, PA.

Excited for the opportunity to exhibit at the Barnes and the chance to win a residency with the help of votes from the public. Anyone who wants to participate to be a voter will be able to visit the museum for FREE!  To register follow this link  LetsConnect  once registered you can vote in person and attend the museum for free until June 4th.

If you are not familiar with the Barnes foundation and the special art collection you can read about it here: Barnesfoundation.org

My inspiration was Cézanne’s painting Girl with birdcage.

My painting, Girl With Cat, plays up to the animal theme of Cézanne’s work, I based it on my own daughter and family cat. Studying the colors of Cézanne’s painting and the surrounding art in the room, I created this artwork as if it would be a companion piece to the other paintings.  (medium: acrylic paint on 8×10″ canvas)

*If you have any questions about the art or event feel free to send me a message. Thank you!

Facebook event page

100 days

| jennifer barrile

So it begins again…

This is my second year participating in the 100 day project, hosted by Elle Luna .  If you are not familiar with this project, it is open to anyone, the goal of project is to create or do anything you want for 100 days. You can share your progress on Instagram using the special hashtag #The100dayproject.  ( it is never too late to join in)

This year I will create an illustration for 100 songs, my only limit is color. You can follow my 100 day journey on Instagram @ Jensimaginings   #100DaysOfSongsIllustrated

The reason behind my theme choice, I wanted the challenge of telling a story through my art..

My first song inspiration: Suitcase Full of Sparks, by Gregory Alan Isakov

Materials: Recycled cardboard, chipboard, cut paper, graphite, charcoal and one color.

 

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“Traveling through the graveyard with a suitcase full of sparks honey, Im just trying to find my way to you.”

 

 

 

In the neighborhood

| jennifer barrile

I am everywhere and nowhere..

Creatively speaking I hit a rough patch recently,  I arrived at the point without a desire to create and my attempts to paint went awry.  Refraining from beating myself up over this dry spell (ok I admit to a small temper tantrum), I decided to make an effort to do other things. A brisk walk around the neighborhood is one of my favorite things to do to clear my head.  On occasions I would take time to observe, photographing interesting things  along the way.

One of the images I photographed was an old house in the neighborhood which I have passed many times. I always admired the structure and unique ornate features of the house. This image was the spark to start me off on my little painting adventure.

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Always fascinated with the stories behind the facade but alas the only information I could find on this old house was the date it was built, 1896.

 

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9″x12″  acrylic paint and graphite on wood panel

 

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I’ve been using a sta-wet palette, it helps keep my paints from drying out.

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Painting of the trees

Progression of painting

 

Thanks for stopping by and letting me take you on my little creative journey.

Nature of the city

| jennifer barrile

A collection of my landscape and cityscape paintings will be on display at The Cedars House, a quaint cafe in the woods of Philadelphia. The cafe is a favorite haunt of mine, when hiking the trails in Fairmount Park or sketching in nature.  My paintings are on display now through December.

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The Cedars House, 200 W Northwestern Ave, Phila., PA 19118

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Painting process of the Manayunk Trail Bridge

 

Thank you for viewing

 

Want to explore Philadelphia’s park & trails, follow the links below:

Wissahickon Valley Park Trail 

Valley Green

Day hiker map

Manayunk Trail Bridge

 

100 Day Finale

| jennifer barrile

100 Day Project 

A little late on the draw posting the images, but I finally completed all 100 days of art this past August.

My theme for this project 100 Days Of Cookie Cat, all cat illustrations were completed on 5×5″ format (140 lb watercolor paper), using a variety of mediums.

You can view the beginning stages of art #1-30 on my previous blog post 

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#69-100

 

Visit @JensImaginings on Instagram to view the collection of 100 Day art or use hashtag: #100DaysOfCookieCat

Thank you for stopping by!

Plein air

| jennifer barrile

The East Coast experienced many mild weather days this winter, which drew me out of my studio hibernation to paint in nature.  Once upon a time my outdoor painting would consist of small watercolor sketches or pencil drawings. This time around I decided to try quick paintings using acrylic paint and graphite on paper, spending about 45 min to an hour on each painting.

A recent purchase and a new love, the Sta-Wet handy palette, helped make outdoor painting easier. This palette box preserves paints for an extended period of time.. The smaller version was easy to transport and keep paint fresh. My preference of paint brush is more scrubby in texture, short bristle brushes..  Sometimes you just have to make adjustments, when you can’t find what you need, I gave my brushes a hair cut..

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Since I am painting on paper, I don’t need an easel, just a hard surface to paint on.. Most of the time I use picnic tables in parks, and or invert the lid to my sat-wet palette to place my paper on. Working small 8″x 10″ or smaller means less paint needed.

Reserve your time in nature……

Supplies I bring for outdoor painting: Reusable bag to transport my supplies, water bottle, water cup (I use an empty yogurt container) brushes, pencil, pre-cut watercolor paper (small various sizes) rag, clips (to hold paper together) Palette fully loaded with paint colors (I try not to bring extra tubes of paint) large ziplock bags to package up my palette and any loose materials. I use a rubber band to wrap around my palette to keep it from accidentally opening in transport.