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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


Fall Art Shows!
Now that the summer heat is fading, I'm busy with art exhibitions and some outdoor events. This fall my watercolor paintings will show in...

Jennifer Gillen
Sep 16, 20233 min read


What I Learn from Helping
For the past few months, I've been involved with our local art association. This is a new adventure for me!

Jennifer Gillen
Aug 30, 20233 min read


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


Sharing Art Tips (in real life)
How meeting other artists in real life improves my art.

Jennifer Gillen
May 24, 20232 min read


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


Do Real Artists Quit?
It’s difficult to know when it is time to quit doing something. Whether it’s a job, a bad habit, or something as meaningful as art,...

Jennifer Gillen
Feb 14, 20233 min read


Starting 2023 with Exhibitions
It's always exciting when I receive an invitation to show my paintings in a gallery. This year is starting with two fun invitations to...

Jennifer Gillen
Feb 2, 20233 min read


Redouté: Rose Gardens and Refinement?
Art history connects us to a thread of other artists who bothered with beauty when it did not appear relevant or easy.

Jennifer Gillen
Jan 28, 20233 min read


Do Watercolor Paintings Last?
I was recently asked about how long watercolor paintings last. It's a great question that came from a collector interested in buying...

Jennifer Gillen
Jan 20, 20232 min read


The Allure of a New Year
My year started curiously. I awoke on January 1st to the sound of a barking and howling dog. Looking out the windows of our vacation...

Jennifer Gillen
Jan 13, 20231 min read


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


Gray Background & Vignetting Removed!
Fixing the gray background on a botanical painting photograph.

Jennifer Gillen
Jul 29, 20222 min read


Three Upcoming Debuts
New exhibitions for the late-summer season!

Jennifer Gillen
Jul 27, 20223 min read


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


Curiosity, Creativity, and Empathy
Have you ever really thought about the stories of the people you encounter in life? I find myself constantly curious about people. As...

Jennifer Gillen
Jul 9, 20223 min read


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


You're Invited!
It's almost summer, and my art is traveling to many new exhibitions! You are invited to come see it in galleries around Texas. I'm still...

Jennifer Gillen
Apr 13, 20223 min read


Moving into Painting through Sonnets
From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty’s rose might never die, But as the riper should by time decease, His...

Jennifer Gillen
Mar 27, 20222 min read


The Romeo and Juliet Series
It's officially a series! I'm finishing the third painting in a series of traditional botanical paintings based on Shakespeare's Romeo...

Jennifer Gillen
Mar 17, 20222 min read
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