I have been painting quite a bit lately, though I’ve been slow to share the results. The truth is, my work is undergoing a profound evolution.
When I first began my series of women in dresses back in 2010, they were often seated, lonely, and vulnerable—waiting for someone or something to arrive. Fast forward to today, and the energy has shifted entirely. My new subjects are strong, independent, and grounded. They aren't waiting; they are moving toward the future with purpose.
In this new series, I am using thick impasto with both brush and palette knife to literally sculpt the figure out of the paint. While materiality has always been part of my work, I am now challenging myself to capture the essence of a subject with the least amount of strokes possible. I want these figures to be vague and obscure—like the future itself—but vibrating with the confidence of what is to come.
I’m also finding new inspiration in the quiet moments of my home and travels. A simple glass of rosé is a stunning study in light and transparency. Much of this shift comes from my recent trip—my very first cruise. There is something incredibly freeing about being on the vast blue ocean with nothing to do but exist and relax. Travel is vital for the creative soul; it clears the air so the new work can emerge.
THE NEW DIRECTION: 'ARISE'
I am now exploring a bolder, more aggressive style that I call 'Emergent.' In this series, I am challenging myself to capture the essence of a subject with the least amount of strokes possible. Using heavy impasto and an aggressive, one-touch technique, I 'sculpt' the figure out of the light.
In 'Arise,' the figure is no longer just a subject; she is a force of nature caught in a moment of becoming. She emerges from a shimmering landscape where blinding, warm light at the horizon meets the deep teals and blues of the Pacific sky. This vibrating tension makes her feel both ethereal and grounded.
FROM 2012: 'THE MOMENT'
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A vertical palette knife oil painting featuring a woman in a vibrant red dress, seated with her back to the viewer. This piece captures my early sculptural impasto and expressive knife work, conveying a sense of solitude and contemplative vulnerability.
BEYOND THE FIGURE
I’m also finding inspiration in the quiet moments of my home—like the light hitting a glass of rosé—and my recent travels. My first cruise was incredibly freeing; that vast blue ocean cleared the air, allowing this new work to emerge.
I’m also finding inspiration in the quiet moments of my home—like the light hitting a glass of rosé—and my recent travels. My first cruise was incredibly freeing; that vast blue ocean cleared the air, allowing this new work to emerge.
I want these figures to be vague and obscure—like the future itself—but vibrating with the confidence of what is to come.
THE LIGHT IN THE GLASS
"While my large-scale figures represent a major shift in power, these smaller still life studies are where I practice the 'mechanics' of the shimmer.
I’m endlessly inspired by the way the blinding California sun interacts with glass and liquid. In this piece, my glass of rosé isn't just a subject—it’s a vessel for that same high-heat atmosphere I remember from my earliest days in Redondo Beach.
I’ve applied the same aggressive, one-touch strokes here that I use in my 'Arise' figure series. By using a palette of teals and magentas, I wanted to capture the vibrating energy of the light rather than the literal lines of the bottle. It’s about that moment when the sun hits the table and everything starts to dissolve into a beautiful, vague glow. This is the quiet side of the Emergent energy—finding the extraordinary in the everyday."
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| coming soon |
SCULPTING THE AFTERNOON LIGHT
There is a specific kind of freedom in a single, well-placed brushstroke.
In this piece, Echoes in Glass, I wanted to push the boundaries of my new Emergent style. I challenged myself to 'sculpt' the weight of the flower petals using the thickest impasto possible, while keeping the glass and the atmosphere vague and shimmering.
The blue and white stripes of the cloth are a nod to that vast blue ocean I experienced on my recent cruise. By using a 'hot' orange underpainting to vibrate against the cool blues, I’m bringing that blinding Redondo light right onto the tabletop. It’s not just a still life; it’s a moment of power and peace emerging from the paint.
My work has always been about the California light, but today, I am finally sculpting it with the confidence it deserves! Whether It's a vast landscape or the rim of a wine glass, I am seeking the 'aura' of the moment.
-Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan (The Redondo Original)
