Jen Beaudet-Zondervan Contemporary Impressionist Painter from California
Hi, I'm artist Jen Beaudet Zondervan, from Southern California, USA. I started this blog in 2009 as a way to share my art journey and meet other creative souls. It became my therapy. I use oil paints with a palette knife and bold brush marks. My work is both, passionate and sensitive; inspired by nature's beauty. I first called this blog My Life As a Starving Artist. I have another website JBeaudetStudios.com
6.17.2025
3.25.2025
Thinking of Changing Back to This Site
I've had my website for quite a few years now but I just can't see the reason to keep it. JbeaudetStudios.com is the domain name. I think I can transfer it to this one. I'm not sure how to go about all of that techie stuff.
This blog is free, other than my domain name JenniferBeaudetartist. I might change that too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do but I was thinking I could just go back to the way I started. I posted on here and linked it to my etsy. Etsy has change so much since I started in 2009. It's hard to be seen on there and hard to compete with other countries. But, I do get seen and do sell on there. I really can't say that my website has helped me besides, looking nice.
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Here's a new one I did from a photo from Elizabeth Mitchell, from a Facebook photo sharing group. It's in France and I added the chickens. I've been wanting to do clothesline paintings for sometime now.
I did this one on canvas paper using oil paints. I didn't do a great job measuring it beforehand but I think it's about 6x8?
We're going back to Europe soon and I hope to find many more things to paint!
I've sold a few paintings and some prints recently. Today this one sold!
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sold |
If you get a chance pop over to my Etsy to see if there's anything that catches your eye! I'm trying to clear up some space around here!
Until later! Happy Spring!
Jen
3.19.2025
Busy March Passing by Like A Lion!
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16x20 inch oil on canvas |
It's been a few months since I've posted anything but I've been busy painting and working. Where does the time go? Well, I've also been planning for our trip to Italy! I'm so excited about it and I've been shopping for the perfect shoes...I haven't found them so I will be wearing my tennis shoes everywhere. I know it won't look good but my feet will be happy.
This piece is still drying by I just want to share my updated version. Below is what it started as.
That's all for now. Have a beautiful day!
PS I'm having a SALE for SPRING in my etsy shop!
1.19.2025
Old Hollywood Glamour to Classical Ballet...Inspiration is Everywhere!
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"Love You" available here |
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"Sugarplum Fairies at Rest" available here |
This is a 24x24 inch acrylic on canvas. We attended the Nutcracker Ballet at the Segerstrom, in Costa Mesa. It was so nice to dress up and get a little culture. I took this photo with my phone and thought I was being very discreet until someone tapped me on the shoulder. She said please don't. When the lights came on I tried to explain the I'm an artist and I really want to paint this. She didn't care. I saw other people doing the same (no flash, of course) Anyway, it was funny...but I really couldn't help it! I was compelled to snap these photos to paint the beauty I was feeling. I thought about how other artists would go about painting the ballet. It's not possible to set up my easel and paint in the dark.
I think I will be doing at least one more of these. There's something so much fun about painting figures.
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click to go to my website Jbeaudetstudios.com |
11.19.2024
Whispers of Serenity-A Painting Journey
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Sold |
This is a new floral from my latest series. It sold but I still haven't posted all of the others.
I have frames for two of them and one has painted sides. I wanted to share them as a collection and I'm still working on that. I'm thinking about creating a new website with my old name. It was JenBeaudetArt.com . I have the domain name back in my possession but haven't parked it yet. I'm wondering if I should just make a new one with my whole new name. It's a bit long though...Jen Beaudet Zondervan.com Maybe... JBeaudetZ or JBeaudetZArt.
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Old one from 2013 (Sold) |
I posted my painting "Upcountry in Bloom" because I was just reminded of it when I saw someone use it as their profile photo on Facebook. She credited me Jen Beaudet which was my name when I painted it. Now, I'm Jen Beaudet Z. Names are important. Branding is important.
This painting was an amazing time in my art journey. I have been to Maui several times and took photos of this area with the jacaranda but I was never there when they were in full bloom. It's my favorite area. I love the green rolling hills. So, when I saw this photo from https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jacaranda-explosion-of-color-as-a-jacaranda-tree-bloms-nature-photographer.html Nature Photographer on Fineartamerica, I asked his permission to paint it. (He doesn't share his name on there, so I won't) We got to know each other and met in person. I handed him the painting and it made a journey to Maui! I sold it online to someone in Alaska and he shipped it there for me! I will never forget that great memory. I still hope to get over there again and say hi. Maybe, the trees will be blooming!
I'm trying to only paint from my own photos or from life now which limits me to only scenes that I capture. I'm tempted to paint another one of these from my own photos.
This was how I did the other one. I used google maps and found the spot, then used the colors from his photo.
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Kula (sold) |
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Available here on Etsy |
11.11.2024
New Dana Point Harbor Art
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Available here on Etsy |
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close up of the painting above |
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Here's my latest painting using the new technique that makes acrylic paints look like oils. I'm really enjoying the process and exploring new ideas. I have so many photos to paint from around here. Something about this technique has renewed my love for landscapes! I can't wait to do some more florals too!
I am still framing them. I ended up with 5 for the new series but I know it will grow to be larger. I don't think many people are seeing this, but thank you if you are seeing it! It's funny how things change over the years...But I'm still here making art!
11.04.2024
From France to Dana Point, California
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available here |
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available here |
Here's two paintings I just completed. For some reason I'm not able to load one more right now. Anyway, I'm loving these little works. Just fun and fresh. Free to explore. This is just want I needed. I hope you enjoy them too!
Jen
10.21.2024
Field of Sunflowers and Peonies
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available on etsy |
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Available Here |
Working on more landscapes this week and also framing my new flower series! I have to paintings to go though before it's ready to reveal.
10.17.2024
I'm doing a workshop to learn how to make acrylics look like oils
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Field of Peonies in Provence Available on Etsy This new 6x6 painting was inspired by my trip to France last May. My husband and I went to Provence and The French Riviera! It was amazing and I'm still pinching myself. I can't believe the things I've seen in the last two years! I'm living in a fairytale. |
Speaking of listing, I have been going back and forth from Etsy and my website. I know it's not consistent and may be confusing. It's just the problem of getting it seen. It's been a challenge lately. Hopefully, I can figure it out and just have one platform, but until then, just know that I offer my originals for sale on my etsy and my website jbeaudetstudios Thank you for sticking around through all these years!
9.26.2024
Busy on a new series of florals
I've started a new floral series focusing on "unfocused", if that makes sense. I have 3 done and plan on completing 10. I felt that my work was feeling stale and wanted to bring freshness to it so I thought doing a series would help that. I'm definitely energized and I hope that shows through! I've realized what I enjoy the most in a painting is the unknown. The less detail the more I like it. That's what the palette knife achieved for me but for some reason it's starting to feel stiff or stale for me. Maybe it's because I've been at this since 2009 and things changed. I changed. So much has happened in that time, in my life, in our world. It's not surprising that my art would change. I need to feel intrigued and invigorated.
These new pieces are starting to help me feel newly inspired. Two years ago, my world was opened up when I visited Europe for the first time. We went again, this year. We actually talk about moving there. Who would ever think someone coming from where I was would be experiencing life like this! Not me. It has reshaped my thinking in so many ways that of course my art would be influenced by this. I am, like many, constantly seeing art from old masters to new ones, inspired and intrigued.
I have enjoyed seeing Melanie Morris' art over the years and finally jumped in on her yearly Fearless Landscape course! It hasn't started yet but I'm eager to start. I think I mostly need some direction and to focus. I feel this course will help me with that and I've started to use more acrylics instead of oils (will see how ling that lasts). Lately, I've also been enjoying Anne Blair Brown's work and was able to see some in person in Charleston, SC. I love her fresh approach to painting a landscape. I am also following Ingrid Christensen and have taken one small course about edges (I wish I could have saved it! It was a few years ago and my memory is lacking sometimes) I love her figures. I have also taken a small course with Christine Lafuente. It was about her method of drawing and again I wish I could save it and watch it again. I have been a fan of her work for years now. I think it was 2013, or around that time, when I discovered her juicy, fresh work. I still haven't figured out how she does it though. Maybe I will be able to take on of her workshops soon!
Anyway, I haven't written anything for a while and thought it was time to update you all (or I should say "ya'll" after our trip to the South! Oh my gosh! The food was amazing!
7.29.2024
Practicing Figure in Red
I've had this photo for a few years now. I took it in Dana Point when I came upon a couple taking wedding photos. I'm practicing getting the figure down fast without any real drawing. I "drew" it with a large paint brush and carved out the figure by focusing more on the negative space. It's not exactly correct but this is the impression I got from it. Another thing I'm working on here is the color of her red dress. Since the original was white I did this from memory or what I thought red would be in bright sunlight. I should take a look at another reference photo for that but I was in a hurry, only had about an hour to play.
Now that I see this, I'm wondering if I should take the groom out so that she's alone.
About the Facebook dilemma, I am still trying to have the fake account taken down. I don't think anyone will actually believe it's me. Take a look at the friends and details. It's just disturbing and the Facebook people don't are not very helpful. Why can't we rate their service?
7.24.2024
Facebook Sucks
Facebook sucks. I know you already knew. Some evil person (I have a hard time calling them a person). Some evil being is stealing my art, my name, my photos, and made an account. And after I changed my photo they stole that the next day! They are obviously watching my page. I reported it to Facebook. Friends and family have reported it. Facebook says the account doesn't go against their "community Standards"... So I went through all these hoops, filled out an intellectual property theft report and they did take the photos that I reported down, but the account remains with some of my photos that I didn't add links to. And they just stole different photos of mine and put them on their page again.
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Me from a few years ago |
The way I found out about it was suspicious too. Some woman that I had never seen before came on my personal page and wrote in a comment that someone was impersonating me. I thanked her but I wonder how she knew. Because now when I post about it I am bombarded with "nice people" trying to help. They want me to click on a link or type in someone's name who can help me with hacked accounts, etc.
I'm not that naive. I know a scam when I see it. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I may be deleting my Facebook business page. Maybe both, I'm not sure.
If the Facebook people don't take this serious yet they take all kinds of things down about politics or nudes that might offend a certain group. They have their priorities all wrong. I am an artist. That's it. And I started sharing my paintings in 2009. First, on this blog. You guys actually saw me and encouraged me. You are why I kept going. Then I went on Facebook and shared more receiving more encouragement. It was a great time. It's not the same anymore. It has been overcome by malicious people, trying to ruin it for others. Facebook should have been on top of this instead of trying to be so accepting of all. Evil people have no place in my world.
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sold |
NEW Website!
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This is not the giveaway painting...but a commission I just finished! Click to get details for your own! Hi guys! I want to thank my loyal ...
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This painting came from a blogger that I contacted and asked for permission A question I'm asked, and sometimes I'm the one asking...