My favorite past time is browsing Etsy(almost constantly), I found this artist that way and was drawn to her use of color and shape. Hope you enjoy as well!
Bike Boy in the Rain. Original Oil Painting.
The painter and graphic designer Jenny of Jenny Gray Art.
Where do you like to work? What time of day is most productive for you to work and why do you think that is?
Because I work half the time in my graphic design business and the other half on my art I really separate my time and workspaces. I have a wonderful painting studio that is messy and has paint on everything and then I have my office for business and design. The separate spaces really help me focus on the particular work I am doing at the time. I usually work on clint work in the morning so I don't feel like I have anything hanging over my head and then I am free to get lost in my artwork for the rest of the day.
Work Space.
What materials do you use and most like to work with and where do you get them?
Most of the time I work with oil on canvas and oil printing inks for my prints. I try to buy locally, my walnut based paints are made in Oregon by M. Graham, these are amazing highly pigmented paints. I pick some things up here and there at a locally owned art supply store but since I am not in a large city I do end up buying the big items from Daniel-Smith.com.
Tangerine Swing. Original Monotype
Cream and Warm Black. Original Monotype
Where does your source material come from?
I don't use a lot of source material. I take lots of photos thinking I am going to use them but rarely end up using them. i think everything I see sticks in my brain somewhere and comes out as I work.
You can see more on Jenny's inspiration here.
What kind of images inspire you? Do you keep a sketchbook?
I don't keep a sketchbook anymore, I found I did not really refer to it anyway.
Retro Stationary Set by Jenny.
$8.00 for a Set of 10 Letterheads and 10 Envelopes
What techniques and processes are your favorites?
I love oil painting for it's freedom and challenge, I see my monotypes as an extention of painting but with some of the qualities of graphic design that I love. I always have about 5-6 oil paintings and about 2-3 graphic projects going at the same time. I work on what I feel excited about and come back to things if I start to get stuck. See my graphic work here.
What is special and inspiring about living where you do?
I am always amazed by the color in Oregon, no matter what the season I can spend hours walking and looking at the landscape. I enjoy living out in the country, the quiet natural surroundings are the best part about where I live.
What is a normal day like for you? How many hours/week do you get to actually focus and produce new works?
I can never find enough time to focus on new works, too many ideas and not enough time. Let's just say in total I probably work a total of 60-65 hours and week and in a good week 18 hours of that is spent directly on creating art.
Who are you're favorite designers? On Etsy and off.
There is tons of talent on Etsy, but my favorite designers and artists are pretty old school; Paul Rand would probably be my favorite designer and Richard Diebenkorn would be the artist who is the most inspiring to me.
Vacations always make me feel rejuvenated and excited about getting into the studio. When I am on vacation the day to day stuff is not muddling my brain and I start to think of new ideas, projects, etc.
Whenever I get to see abstract expressionist work around mid century I always get inspired, especially the stuff that was happening in California at the time.
Pls see Jenny's large scale oil paintings here.
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