Interview with Barbara Jaenicke,
Artist of the Month-September 2015
INTERVIEW: Feature Artist
BARBARA JAENICKE, OPA,PSA, IAPS-MC
Barbara is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and the Pastel Society of America, a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle, a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society, a member of the American Impressionist Society, and is a popular workshop instructor throughout the US
PSST: Why are you an artist or how did you choose to become an artist?
BJ: As a teenager I loved to draw and hoped to have a career of some sort in the art world. Wanting to have an income-bearing job right after college, I opted to tailor my college studies toward the commercial side and became an advertising art director. I enjoyed that career for a little over a decade and then shifted to the corporate side to work in marketing communications for several years, while working at my easel in the evenings. When my son was a baby, I was home with him during the day and began teaching beginner drawing classes in the evenings and a couple of mornings a week while he was at preschool, and squeezed in painting time whenever I could. From there I persisted to push my skills as much as possible. Painting has become a passionate obsession for me that I know will always be a large part of who I am.
PSST: Where do you paint? Home, studio, corner of a room? How is it set up?
BJ: My best work is painted in my studio.
However, a consistent practice of plein air painting has had tremendous influence on
my work as a landscape painter.
At the time of this interview, I’m in transition between moving from Atlanta, GA to Bend, OR. I had a nice size studio with great light in the daylight basement of my Atlanta home. My home in Oregon will be smaller, and consequently so will my studio, which will be in an upstairs bonus room that we’re currently getting ready ... (replacing carpet with hard flooring and painting the walls a neutral grey).
As with my old studio, I’ll have separate areas for pastel and oil, since I work in both and enjoy going back and forth between the two.
PSST: What is your subject matter and how do you choose it?
BJ: I’m primarily a landscape painter. Like most landscape artists, I enjoy painting beautiful scenery where I personally like to spend time. But I also love painting intimate little corners of the landscape that capture beauty we sometimes miss, such as sunlight hitting a small clump of grass in the water.
I find it to be a fun challenge to create eye-grabbing artwork out of the mundane…it can sometimes be more fulfilling to do that rather than trying to replicate an already beautiful vista into a painting.
PSST: How do you describe your painting style and color choices?
BJ: I think my painting style would be described as contemporary impressionism. My color choices are loosely based on the local color, but harmonizing my color palette is important to me, so I typically choose a limited palette of colors that repeat throughout the painting.
PSST: What art events do you have scheduled?
BJ: My upcoming schedule consists of workshops in pastel and oil (about one per month) as well as several juried and invitational shows.
PSST: How do you sell/show your work? Galleries, online, home studio tour, open house?
BJ: I’m currently in four galleries:
The Gallery on Broad in Charleston, SC;
Stoneheart Gallery in Evergreen, CO;
Weiler House Fine Art Gallery in Fort Worth, TX;
Raiford Gallery in Roswell, GA.
Since I enter and participate in several juried shows for oil and pastel throughout the year, my work is also placed in the galleries hosting those shows. I also sell my small work (8x10 or smaller) on Daily Paintworks, www.dailypaintworks.com.
PSST: What social media, websites or art-focused groups are you associated with?
BJ: I keep a blog, to which I post about once per month. Most of my blog posts discuss a particular painting topic. When I was teaching local students in my studio in Atlanta, I would base my monthly blog post on the topic I would cover in those classes. I won’t be teaching as much from my new studio in Oregon, but I think I’ll plan to have my future blog posts discuss paintings on which I’m currently working, new painting information I’ve come across, or other relevant topics I’ve recently encountered that I think my blog followers would find beneficial.
I’m also active on Facebook and the various painting-specific groups on Facebook.
I hold Signature Memberships in Pastel Society of America and Oil Painters of America, and am a Master Circle Member in the International Association of Pastel Societies.
PSST: What are your goals as an artist?
BJ: I have various levels of goals…each with a specific purpose. Since I earn my living and support my family with the income earned from my art career, for practical purposes I have to set monetary goals.
However, the goal that’s most important to me is to continue to push my skills as far as they’ll go as a landscape artist, continuing to paint what I feel passionately called to paint, and to eventually become more skilled with other subject matter such as figures and more structures in my landscape work. When I’m at the end of my life, I don’t want to wonder how accomplished I could have become if I tried harder.
PSST: Who or what has been your greatest source of encouragement?
BJ: Artists in general tend to serve as huge source of encouragement for each other. Any note, email, or Facebook comment from another artist or collector who has expressed enjoyment from my work or benefitted from my workshop instantly perks me up and keeps me going even on the bad days.
PSST: Is there a single incident, a quote, or an award that will always have special meaning to you and why?
BJ: Yes! I was the recipient of the “People’s Choice” Award at the 2014 American Impressionist Society Exhibition, and was told that it was won by an overwhelming majority. Since the award was selected by peers…many of whom I hold tremendous admiration…I’ll be on cloud nine over this one for quite a long time!
PSST: What is your “favorite thing” you use in painting? A special gadget or tool you have discovered or a special technique that you have developed that you would pass on to others?
BJ: Tracing paper and a proportion wheel. Students who have taken my workshops know what I’m talking about.
BARBARA JAENICKE, OPA,PSA, IAPS-MC
Barbara is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and the Pastel Society of America, a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle, a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society, a member of the American Impressionist Society, and is a popular workshop instructor throughout the US
PSST: Why are you an artist or how did you choose to become an artist?
BJ: As a teenager I loved to draw and hoped to have a career of some sort in the art world. Wanting to have an income-bearing job right after college, I opted to tailor my college studies toward the commercial side and became an advertising art director. I enjoyed that career for a little over a decade and then shifted to the corporate side to work in marketing communications for several years, while working at my easel in the evenings. When my son was a baby, I was home with him during the day and began teaching beginner drawing classes in the evenings and a couple of mornings a week while he was at preschool, and squeezed in painting time whenever I could. From there I persisted to push my skills as much as possible. Painting has become a passionate obsession for me that I know will always be a large part of who I am.
PSST: Where do you paint? Home, studio, corner of a room? How is it set up?
BJ: My best work is painted in my studio.
However, a consistent practice of plein air painting has had tremendous influence on
my work as a landscape painter.
At the time of this interview, I’m in transition between moving from Atlanta, GA to Bend, OR. I had a nice size studio with great light in the daylight basement of my Atlanta home. My home in Oregon will be smaller, and consequently so will my studio, which will be in an upstairs bonus room that we’re currently getting ready ... (replacing carpet with hard flooring and painting the walls a neutral grey).
As with my old studio, I’ll have separate areas for pastel and oil, since I work in both and enjoy going back and forth between the two.
PSST: What is your subject matter and how do you choose it?
BJ: I’m primarily a landscape painter. Like most landscape artists, I enjoy painting beautiful scenery where I personally like to spend time. But I also love painting intimate little corners of the landscape that capture beauty we sometimes miss, such as sunlight hitting a small clump of grass in the water.
I find it to be a fun challenge to create eye-grabbing artwork out of the mundane…it can sometimes be more fulfilling to do that rather than trying to replicate an already beautiful vista into a painting.
PSST: How do you describe your painting style and color choices?
BJ: I think my painting style would be described as contemporary impressionism. My color choices are loosely based on the local color, but harmonizing my color palette is important to me, so I typically choose a limited palette of colors that repeat throughout the painting.
PSST: What art events do you have scheduled?
BJ: My upcoming schedule consists of workshops in pastel and oil (about one per month) as well as several juried and invitational shows.
PSST: How do you sell/show your work? Galleries, online, home studio tour, open house?
BJ: I’m currently in four galleries:
The Gallery on Broad in Charleston, SC;
Stoneheart Gallery in Evergreen, CO;
Weiler House Fine Art Gallery in Fort Worth, TX;
Raiford Gallery in Roswell, GA.
Since I enter and participate in several juried shows for oil and pastel throughout the year, my work is also placed in the galleries hosting those shows. I also sell my small work (8x10 or smaller) on Daily Paintworks, www.dailypaintworks.com.
PSST: What social media, websites or art-focused groups are you associated with?
BJ: I keep a blog, to which I post about once per month. Most of my blog posts discuss a particular painting topic. When I was teaching local students in my studio in Atlanta, I would base my monthly blog post on the topic I would cover in those classes. I won’t be teaching as much from my new studio in Oregon, but I think I’ll plan to have my future blog posts discuss paintings on which I’m currently working, new painting information I’ve come across, or other relevant topics I’ve recently encountered that I think my blog followers would find beneficial.
I’m also active on Facebook and the various painting-specific groups on Facebook.
I hold Signature Memberships in Pastel Society of America and Oil Painters of America, and am a Master Circle Member in the International Association of Pastel Societies.
PSST: What are your goals as an artist?
BJ: I have various levels of goals…each with a specific purpose. Since I earn my living and support my family with the income earned from my art career, for practical purposes I have to set monetary goals.
However, the goal that’s most important to me is to continue to push my skills as far as they’ll go as a landscape artist, continuing to paint what I feel passionately called to paint, and to eventually become more skilled with other subject matter such as figures and more structures in my landscape work. When I’m at the end of my life, I don’t want to wonder how accomplished I could have become if I tried harder.
PSST: Who or what has been your greatest source of encouragement?
BJ: Artists in general tend to serve as huge source of encouragement for each other. Any note, email, or Facebook comment from another artist or collector who has expressed enjoyment from my work or benefitted from my workshop instantly perks me up and keeps me going even on the bad days.
PSST: Is there a single incident, a quote, or an award that will always have special meaning to you and why?
BJ: Yes! I was the recipient of the “People’s Choice” Award at the 2014 American Impressionist Society Exhibition, and was told that it was won by an overwhelming majority. Since the award was selected by peers…many of whom I hold tremendous admiration…I’ll be on cloud nine over this one for quite a long time!
PSST: What is your “favorite thing” you use in painting? A special gadget or tool you have discovered or a special technique that you have developed that you would pass on to others?
BJ: Tracing paper and a proportion wheel. Students who have taken my workshops know what I’m talking about.