jennifer gauthier

lifestyle blog of artist, jennifer gauthier. take a peek into her daily creative process and inspirations. she is currently participating in the 100 days of making challenge. find out information on upcoming shows, her new works and commissions. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-65616221-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview');

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Day 38/100

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Day 37/100

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I love to study the many things that grow below the corn stalks and bring them back to the studio to study the color. If one could only catch that true color of nature - the very thought of it drives me mad.

Andrew Wyeth

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There is something to be said about rituals. It’s crazy how when you choose to build a healthy habit (painting everyday, no matter what for me) it gets easier and easier to start without putting too much thought into it. Over a third of this challenge is already complete and I’ve got more finished pieces in one month than ever before. I’m finding more joy each day by studying my natural surroundings and just getting to work! Cheers to the next 64 days!

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Day 35/100 of The 100 Day Project

There is still and eerie smog filling the air after the Forth of July fireworks. The sun glows red, the sky is near invisible and fire still chokes our air. This is an observation go the Bellingham Bay. Each brushstroke weighs heavy on my heart. 

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Day 34/100

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Day 33/100 

I’m a third of the way there! While driving home yesterday, I took a detour to the waterfront. The smog is still thick from the Fourth of July but the water shines through in all its beauty. This is one of my water studies. In less than a week I will be studying the water from Spain!

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Day 32/100

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Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.

Frida Kahlo

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Day 31/100

My favorite college professor left a lasting impression.

 She taught me that it’s okay to make a “bad” painting. She said the only difference between her and I was that she had made more bad paintings than me. She taught me that my paintings were hungry and that I need not starve my palette. She taught me that each painting is only a small piece of the artist. She talked about the importance of painting in silence for her, and how each time she worked it was like learning a new dance. She described what it was that kept her painting and pursuing this unglamorous journey through all the struggles, doubt, discouragements, accomplishments, and joys from her art. She talked about her hunger to explore the unknown.

 I didn’t understand what she meant when she talked about, “going into the unknown” a year ago. I still don’t know exactly what it means for her but I think I’m starting to realize what it means for me.

 Thank goodness for our mentors that have us still thinking, even after a year.

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Art and Fear

Day 30/100

When I first started painting, I was afraid of large scale pieces. They seemed unimaginable and too daunting to even begin.

Do you know what I’m scared of now? The little ones are tricky. The limited space makes it feel impossible to accomplish something great. When looking at the painting, the viewer has to get right up close and personal. It’s such an intimate experience to be the one that engages with that little tiny piece at that moment in time.

Thats what I’m afraid of. As you can see, today I made a teeny tiny painting. 

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Day 29/100

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Day 28/100 

Oil paint and soft line-work. Transparent layers and abstract shapes. The smell of walnut oil and the taste of salt on my tongue from the ocean breeze. This day felt like a dream. This piece is pulling me back into my element. It’s not complete but it is definitely steering me somewhere. 

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Background Play

Working up the background layer of a painting is so important. I love to let the background come forward in places and push back in others. I reveal and conceal parts by adding layers upon layers and then removing layers of paint. The memory of the removed layers are there, but they are no longer visible. That is exactly what I focused on on Day 27/100 of The 100 Days of Making Project. I couldn't help but begin to wonder what would happen if I start to integrate some collage into my work...

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Color is a power which directly influences the soul

Wassily Kandinsky

Day 26/100

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Day 25 of The 100 Day Project.

I began by making color studies on paper. I was then slowly drawn in as a floating world began to emerge.

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Taking a step out of my reality and into my aunts farm is always exhilarating. I soaked up the scenery, the color, the fabric and the quiet. Little color studies are where you'll find me.