Artist Statement: The ebb and flow of the darkness and the light was my constant thought as I worked on this painting. I began with the shadows and gradually created the light as I worked on the canvas. I wanted to capture this simple, very human scene from a point in history, but also to capture the eternal mystery of incarnation.
We all live in a flux of darkness to light over and over again in our day to day lives. So, to answer the question: What am I seeking? It is to live in the knowledge that Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
Bio: Joy Jennings is an impressionist painter who loves stories of La Belle Époque and historical novels of the epoch of the Two World Wars. The creativity and resilience of these monumental times in our history have always inspired her, from the works of artists such as Manet, Cezanne, Béraud, Bonnard, Morisot, Degas, as well as such early twentieth century writers as Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Camus, Sartre, and always T.S. Eliot. The impact of the stories told to her of these times by her parents and grandparents created a foundational love and respect for these times.
Her art reflects the influence of her many years of the study of dance. Very much a colorist, she creates her paintings as if she is choreographing a work on canvas, alway conscious of form and movement of color. She hopes the viewer can become not only a spectator of the painting but a participant in the dance of the painting.
Her process is contemplative, but she is aware of the need for a painting to tell a story and become relevant to the viewer.
Her educational background is in languages, literature, and dance. She received a B.A. in English, with additional majors in French and Dance; and, she received her M.A. in French. She also became certified to teach and has held AA certifications in French, English, Creative Writing, and ESL. She taught French for many years, served as the Chair of Foreign Languages and Fine Arts at Long Beach High School (Mississippi), and wrote a three-year curriculum using art to teach French.
Organizations: Episcopal Church and Visual Arts, President and Exhibitions Director
Oil Painters of America
American Impressionist Society.
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