January Art in the Café Artist: Jennifer Palkowski-Jacques
Describe the art you are presenting in the Co-op Café this month. (What inspired it? What does it mean to you? What do you hope the experience will be for people who view it?)
The work is an array of female ghost interpretations and eerie mixed media portraits, inspired by woodland and cemetery walks with my newborn daughter, Magnolia and my dog Rosie. We would admire the angels and the nature surrounding us. I want to inspire folks to appreciate the magnitude of strength and importance of women of all backgrounds. This series of paintings means a lot to me as they were my last walks taken with my dog before she passed away, and my first walks with my daughter.
When did you first start making art and how has your practice changed over time?
I have been making art and creating all of my life. My Grandmother, Ruth was an oil painter and she taught me many things in the realm of art. She is the reason I continued to make art after her death and into adulthood. She believed in me and supported me in my creative life more than anyone. I am mostly self-taught, but I have attended a handful of art college courses including “Art History beyond the West”, “Color Theory”, “Printmaking” and “Introduction to Studio Art.” I am also an experienced fiber artist working mostly with knitting, sewing, and weaving. My art is always changing as far as adding mediums, however I am prone to use a lot of texture, eerie and or dream like themes, and earth tones. Watercolor and ink are my loves.
Name 3 artists who inspire you or who you would love being compared to.
Egon Schiele (Austria), Natalie Rukavishnikova (Moscow), and my grandmother, Ruth Henson are three artists that inspire me. I would be beyond flattered if any of these artists make anyone think of my work!
What is a fun fact about you that many people don’t know?
I am a janitor.