Blog | JenGillenArt

Sep 26, 2023
3 min

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.

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Jennifer Gillen

Sep 16, 2023
3 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Aug 30, 2023
3 min

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!

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Jennifer Gillen

Jun 5, 2023
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

May 24, 2023
2 min

Sharing Art Tips (in real life)

How meeting other artists in real life improves my art.

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Jennifer Gillen

Mar 12, 2023
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Feb 14, 2023
3 min

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,...

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Jennifer Gillen

Feb 2, 2023
3 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Jan 28, 2023
3 min

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.

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Jennifer Gillen

Jan 20, 2023
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Jan 13, 2023
1 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Aug 18, 2022
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Jul 29, 2022
2 min

Gray Background & Vignetting Removed!

Fixing the gray background on a botanical painting photograph.

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Jennifer Gillen

Jul 27, 2022
3 min

Three Upcoming Debuts

New exhibitions for the late-summer season!

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Jennifer Gillen

Jul 16, 2022
3 min

Artist's Hand: Proof of Presence

Hand is the trace left by the artist that lets you know it was crafted by a human.

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Jennifer Gillen

Jul 9, 2022
3 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Jun 8, 2022
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Apr 13, 2022
3 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Mar 27, 2022
2 min

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...

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Jennifer Gillen

Mar 17, 2022
2 min

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...

42 views