Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

July 25, 2020

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility: Face Masks by Jenny Meehan

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

Yes, an extra post, as normally I post only every two months!

With so many exhibitions cancelled, I have a little bit more time, so I am doing what I enjoy and writing another journal post! It’s likely I will put my journal posts on hold for a while, as I am using this time as a time of focusing on facemask designs, including many designs to help increase deaf awareness, plus providing an option and more choice for those who find communications made harder due to mass masking in the community.

While I am mostly involved in Fine Art, my practice is eclectic and I enjoy design work. I’m going to ramble on down one track now, as my most recent project is in the forefront of my mind.

Here’s a link to one example!

https://www.redbubble.com/i/mask/Purple-Lipreading-Facemask-An-alternative-to-transparent-facemasks-for-Deaf-deaf-Hard-of-Hearing-people-by-jennyjimjams/55165257.9G0D8

My Jenny Meehan/Jennyjimjams Redbubble Shop is here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop

I add designs to my Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing Face Mask Collection every few weeks, so do take a look at the latest new designs!

I also have many patterned Reusable Face Mask designs on my Redbubble profile too, so take a look at those too!

If you are here to look at a wider overview of my Fine Art, then scroll on down to the various past posts to get a wider overview. The MENU tab shows the four pages of this journal, two of which are dedicated to my knee replacement journey and the other two contact pages.

As this is a wordpress blog, you can locate the stream of my posts in reverse chronological order by scrolling downwards, or take a pot luck approach by using the SEARCH box. I don’t currently have a website, apart from my old one, jamartlondon.com, as that’s something I plan to update next year. If you scroll right down to the bottom, There is s RECENT POSTS section where you can pick a recent stream of journalling. Pressing the SHOW FULL SITE tab is another option.

jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan: Deaf/deaf Masks Communication Prompt Aids

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

About this Project:

I have been very busy designing many options for reusable face masks! Inspired by a past career as a Dental Nurse, in which I wore a surgical face mask every working day, the mask topic has always been on my interest radar, and was right back in March 2020. I do wish we were wearing them indoors in public spaces earlier in greater numbers, but, well, we are finally here in face mask time.

This is not very good for communications though…particularly for those who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing or have special needs which mean they really do need to see your face when talking. There are many, many ways you can help make things easier, and the most important thing is to be patient and respectful. Ask the person you are talking to what they would like you to do to help. Different people will have different communication needs. Everyone is very different. Some people are comfortable with you lowering your mask at distance, others may not be. There are speech to text apps, pen and paper, good lighting, reduction of background noise, making sure you face the person directly, re phrase and repeat if necessary. These are just a few suggestions.

Clear Face masks, See-Through Masks, Window Masks are very popular, but may not suit every persons needs or preferences. I feel the more choice people have the better, and so I hope my designs can be a useful resource for many Deaf/deaf hard of hearing folk, especially for those routine tasks like shopping, etc where most of the communications will be with hearing folk. While many people lipread, its one mode of communication and lack of awareness and knowledge mean even if a deaf person is wearing a clear mask, window mask, or see-through mask, the hearing person may assume that seeing their lips alone will suffice, whereas this is not always the case at all. A deaf/Deaf person wearing a deaf mask with a transparent front may still want someone to write something down for clarification, or prefer to use AI… There are many wonderful speech to texts Apps available. Or to write something down may be preferable.

No group of people is identical (obvious, but we need reminding!) and so the more options people have the better. Deaf/deaf hard of hearing people, and anyone with hearing loss to varying degrees, encounters more difficulty with communication in our current situation of mass masking. The wearing of barrier masks in the community is, in my opinion, very wise, but it is only a supplementary measure to distancing. It is keeping the physical distance which is key, and for brief interactions, the guidance is currently at the time of writing this, that one metre+ for distance is sufficient.

When a deaf/Deaf Hard of hearing person, (or someone who needs others to remove their mask to aid communication for any other reason) is shopping, for example, if they request you remove your face mask to help with a brief communication, it is important that you are aware this is a perfectly reasonable, and not an “unsafe” request. The reality is, that if you remove your face mask for someone to aid communication, it is THEM not yourself, who has more prerogative to make that decision, in relation to their own choices with respect to any risk factors. Note.. Obviously we all have rights, and the current situation, it’s really vital to respect other peoples level of comfort and feelings and not violate those. I write what I write with respect to the principle. In practice, there will be people, from both positions, who are not comfortable with this option and mutual respect is key. The key is, you ask! And communicate clearly and respectfully.

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

I’ve created a large collection of different communication prompt/deaf awareness reusable face coverings. Take a look at the whole collection here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=recent

If you are not interested in my thoughts on mass masking, skip this part and shimmy down to see some of my deaf/Deaf hard of hearing, hearing loss designs. I create a few more each week, so there are new ones appearing all the time. This blog shows only a selection.

Please send me feedback if you find the work I have done with creating my designs for Deaf/deaf people helpful. I have also created more broader communication prompts, which could be useful for other special needs or people with different disabilities.

The very simple principle which community mass masking operates on is that the potentially helpful effects of mass masking in the community are about simple breath deflection. Your tidal breath (when you speak or breath naturally) comes out your mouth at speed, and wearing a barrier mask deflects that breath in a way which means it doesn’t travel so far. I do feel that talk of “filters” and “protection” and “stops the virus” have had unhelpful and misleading results when it comes to wearing face coverings in the community settings. It is the case that I have my own experience in the past as a dental nurse help me not assume that barrier masks/surgical masks do anything more than they have ever done. They certainly have never “stopped” viruses or respiratory infections and have never been used for the purpose either. They are a matter of simple hygiene and, in the case of a surgical setting, they do act as a partial barrier to droplets when in close proximity. As hygiene, they are great, but viruses are not bacteria. Interestingly, there have been questions about their effectiveness raised many years back, but logical commonsense tells most people they are a sensible thing for surgeons, nurses, etc to wear when working close to people or in an operating theatre, for example.

It has been hard for many, with our black and white thinking, (all prone to that!) to think that either face masks “work” or they don’t. But life is never black and white and far more nuanced. A partial barrier, or anything which offers some help in a situation, to my mind is worth it. Especially in the midst of a global pandemic! The problem is maybe that people ascribe more to the wearing of face coverings than actually exists, but that was a known and predicted problem. Unfortunately, I have seen for myself, that the wearing of face masks and face coverings does result in people not keeping an appropriate distance, but if people think they are protected by wearing them I guess that’s not surprising. To be fair, if someone sneezed or coughed right next to you and was infectious, it would reduce the droplets you encountered.

NOTE: I am sharing my own perspectives here. I am not, and do not claim to be an expert of any kind, and the reality is, that with Covid-19 we are in unknown territory. Airborne transmission was frequently thought irrelevant at the outset… that has changed. I have based my approach on my own experiences and general interests. Right from the outset, my thinking was largely coloured by previous (still mysterious!) influenza A examples of research, and the tidal breath matter has been something which I have thought key. Yet it is also the case that disagreement over virus transmission has ALWAYS been present. With so far encountered viruses, there are conflicting views and results. We may not like conflicting information, views, and grey areas in the midst of a global pandemic, but this is something we need to accept, for our own mental well being.

Follow the Government guidelines for good hygiene and as the research develops things may change. Wearing barrier face coverings and face masks is prudent and considerate in the middle of a global pandemic!

Some Examples of Masks for Deaf/deaf/Lipreaders/Hard of Hearing/Special Needs and Hidden Disabilities

Disability Awareness and Disability Visibility/Communication Prompt Face Masks Designed by Jenny Meehan Summer 2020 of Coronavirus Pandemic

Due to my own experience of what is often termed “hidden disability” during the most difficult phase of my trauma recovery journey and other disability (ie not being able to walk for more than ten minutes with a stick for just over a year prior to my knee replacement), plus the osteoarthritis which is still often quite a big pain, (though not in my new knee!) an interest in disabilities has emerged in my work. Inclusive art is a key value, and to use my design skills to help others in creative visual ways is very exciting to me. I think taking part in the shape open last year helped too. https://www.shapearts.org.uk/blog/shape-open-2019-artists-announced

My design for a new international symbol of access is probably something which will never get any further than the publication in the Shape Open Catalogue, because there are huge amounts of hoops and legislation to do something like change the International Symbol of Access. There are so many countries and organisations involved. However, what I have been able to do is put my design hat on and come up with lots of options which I hope will act as communication prompts for people in certain situations. Now we are wearing masks more of the time, to put things on a mask to help may be a good option for some people. I have also ensured that many of my inclusive designs are available on other accessories and clothing for those who cannot wear a mask themselves.

I hope you like looking at these designs. The are all ©Jenny Meehan

I use the approx 25% artist margin I get (when all deductions taken by redbubble for the manufacture, etc) to help buy materials for my fine art practice. I have found over the years that being a fine artist is a challenge to sustain, but I do my best to try and sustain the creative vision and the work I do, basically because I believe wholeheartedly that visual art and all the arts are essential to good quality of life, health, and to an imaginative and vibrant culture.

I do not operate on a profit making basis. Any financial benefits received from this project feed straight into my fine art fund and help me buy what I need to continue my focus as a fine artist.

My design work is put on Redbubble.com who manufacture the products. They are a profit making business, but the benefit to me is that they produce excellent quality products and do all the work post my design and art working. I get an artist margin which helps me a bit. There are literally thousands of artists and designers on redbubble. I am just one. So if my designs are useful to you, please let me know because it’s always a great encouragement. Thanks!

I won’t know who buys my Deaf/deaf/Lipreading /Hard of Hearing products as the identity of buyers is not revealed to me. If you leave me a bubblemail message on Redbubble you need to be logged in for me to answer it. Any questions about delivery, ect need to go to Redbubble, not me, as it is them who are actually selling the product to you.

A good scheme they are doing at this current time is donating one mask to a charity for each one you buy. More info on the redbubble website. They also run various discounts and promotions if you are registered with them.

Alternatives to Clear Face Masks /Transparent Window Masks /Lipreading Face Masks for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing People.

Useful for shopping etc and other situations where you are out and about with hearing people who need more educating and awareness!

Hopefully Communication Prompt/Disability Visibility Face Masks can be a useful tool for us all!

Now I’ve posted loads of images as examples, but since doing so I have added more designs, so this is simply a taster!

I’ve created a large collection of different communication prompt/deaf awareness reusable face coverings. Take a look at the whole collection here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=recent

A rather lippy one!

deaf_Deaf_Lipreader_FaceMasks_jenny_meehandeaf_Deaf_Lipreader_Face Masks_jenny_meehan to buy via redbubble print on demand site, inclusive designs and communication prompts for corona virus pandemic ©Jenny Meehan

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lip Readers, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to CoronaVirus Pandemic; Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

You can see there are many different kinds of merchandise available.

PS if you would like to give me feedback, best way is to comment on this blog. There is a “bubblemail”facility on redbubble but it doesn’t alert me when a bubblemail is left. Also, I think I can only reply to someone if they are logged into redbubble.com. The best way to give feedback is via this Artist’s Journal or other social media. Also, if you are waiting for your order, or anything related to your purchase, you should contact Redbubble.com directly, not via me, as they are the company you are actually buying from and they fulfil your order, not me personally.

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreading Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Alternatives to Clear Window Mask in Coronavirus Pandemic

Visibility Masks – Deaf Awareness – Communicator Mask Alternatives; Useful Education and Awareness Raising Reusable Face Coverings by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Here are some more examples. Being a bit lazy and just showing screenshots. Reason being I have spent so much time on this project that I seriously need to get into my studio tent and get on with some visual experiments I am busy with in there…!

I often do my exercises, which I need to do for my joints each morning and think up ideas for different designs while doing my exercises!

It’s a shame the masks have ear loops…I know these are not good (useless!) for many people. I think problems could be got around by doing what I do with my home made face covering…. a large elastic band and safety pins, works well and then the mask can go around the back of your head. You can adjust the elasticity depending on where you pin the elastic bands (if a fabric face covering.

With the ear loop masks, I think if you had a big elastic band you could knot it round one loop and then use the pin on the other. Or just loop a large elastic band around the ear loops and join it with one safety pin. Easy to remove when you need to wash your face mask. I am really sorry there are no other options, but I don’t actually manufacture the face masks, just create the graphic designs!

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

The designs for Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing I have shown you here are some of the most recent ones, but I have designed a vast landscape of options, with many variations, including some with distancing prompts and reminders, some with specific reference to lipreading and others with none, some suggesting that the other person lowers their mask when asked, and others which just ask the other person to lower their mask automatically. Some include “please” and other such niceties, others are just straight to the point. I have consulted many people on the various issues which are encountered by Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing folk. Not so much on the other reasons why people find communications adversely affected by face masks and face coverings. I am open to being educated, so please do feel free to let me have constructive critical suggestions and feedback. Very welcome.

There are exemptions to the new rules for children under 11, those with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

There is a card you can print out from the government’s website, to show exception if wished, but stressed people would not be expected to carry proof of an exemption.

Masks will not be mandatory in indoor venues that have other safety measures in place, including:

Eat-in restaurants
Pubs
Hairdressers and salons
Gyms and leisure centres
Cinemas, concert halls and theatres
Visitor attractions such as museums
Libraries

It’s worth noting that it’s perfectly reasonable for you to ask someone to remove their mask (at distance of min 1 metre advisable) if this is needed by you to aid communication. People have different comfort levels and emotions can run high as people are subject to various fears, and may have many different reasons to feel they want two people to wear face coverings, even if in a non medical setting for brief interactions, so worth bearing that in mind. If someone is not comfortable, then they could used a visor, a transparent screen, or a face mask with a transparent window.

This is really important:

You can lower or remove a face mask or face covering:

if speaking with people who rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound. Some may ask you, either verbally or in writing, to remove a covering to help with communication

It’s really important for people to keep their distance! Rather than whip your face mask or face covering down, ask first if the person wants that!

This also really important:

“In settings where face coverings are required in England, there are some circumstances, for health, age or equality reasons, where people are not expected to wear face coverings. Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings, and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.”

see more here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#when-you-do-not-need-to-wear-a-face-covering

I have designed many other designs, hopefully suited to different needs, preferences and situations. I hope they help!

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

If you have purchased any of my designs from redbubble.com, do please let me know, and if you have a photo of yourself and your purchase, send it my way if you are OK with it being published on the internet in this blog. I don’t know the identity of who purchases products with my art and design on via Redbubble, so it’s always nice to know who is enjoying my work!

sunflower by Jenny Meehan ©Jenny Meehan

Posted in Hearing Loss Inclusive Face Mask Designs by Jenny Meehan, women artists, work from home | Leave a Comment »
Tags: aid, communication prompts, coronavirus, covid 19, deaf, Deaf community, disability, disability aware, disability awareness, face coverings, Face masks, Face masks and Matching Accessories, hard of hearing, Hearing Loss, helping, hidden disabilities, hidden disability, inclusive design, Lipreaders, lipreading Masks, Mandatory Face Coverings, Masks for Deaf People, Masks for Lipreaders, Masks for people who lipread, pandemic, support, transmission reduction

D/deaf Masks + Reusable Face coverings for Hard of hearing deaf people/hearing loss without Clear Windows in Covid-19 Time – Alabaster Loving; A Poem – Interactive Animation Project – All in the Mind Festival

July 16, 2020

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met. I’ve combined my passion for art and design with an interest in communication needs, face masks, and special needs/disabilities.. plus the need for increasing deaf awareness so vital at this current time where mass masking is a supplementary public health measure to physical distancing.

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

I have personally renamed this novel coronavirus “Flummox” because that seems to be one of the main the defining features of it. Oh well

Indeed, I may well produce a series of art work titled “Flummox”. I like the sound of the word, and it presents something I have been thinking about for some time. What are we like, and how do we react? (and what am I like, and how do I react?), to things which I don’t understand, cannot control, and which speak “uncertainty” in the loudest voice possible?

Flummoxed;

“Completely unabldwell e to understand : utterly confused or perplexed”

This virus has brought this home to me. How much security I can get from knowledge and the words “I know”. But unknowing too is part of life and just as important.

I hope and pray, of course, that Scientists discover more and more about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It’s been my main prayer, because it’s wonderful when all the research and work which is being done comes to some useful resolution. It’s a nice, clear, focused prayer too. So to seek to get beyond the unknown into the known is a key movement within us. And part of our survival. Is it also a key movement to seek to get beyond the known into the unknown too? Yes, and also part of our survival.

We can embrace mystery and what we cannot see clearly.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from “The Cloud of Unknowing”. Very much out of context, of course. But good to hold for a moment anyway.

“The universes which are amenable to the intellect can never satisfy the instincts of the heart.”
― Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing

“For I tell you this: one loving, blind desire for God alone is more valuable in itself, more pleasing to God and to the saints, more beneficial to your own growth, and more helpful to your friends, both living and dead, than anything else you could do.”
― Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing

“Prayer, said Mechthild of Magdeburg, brings together two lovers, God and the soul, in a narrow room where they speak much of love: and here the rules which govern that meeting are laid down by a master’s hand.”
― Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing

“So be very careful how you spend your time. There is nothing more precious. In the twinkling of an eye, heaven may be won or lost.”
― Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing

I’ve been working on some You Tube Videos, utilising previous imagery as well as creating new imagery. With family members at home it’s been a big priority to finish mending my studio tent so that I have somewhere to go, but alongside that, various digital imagery tasks are not affected by the Covid 19/Corona Virus place we now inhabit.

Alabaster Loving; A Poem in Memory of my Mother by Jenny Meehan

I’m very pleased with this poem. It is something I have been working away on for several years, but I have finally hit the final version now. It takes a while. I’m grateful for it. And for the work in psychotherapy which is as much a part of the poem as the poem itself. I could not have written this poem or expressed myself in this way without the years of therapy I have had. To touch on certain feelings and memories wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my therapist and the hours of work we spent. My mother experienced long term mental disorders and this shaped her life, and mine in many ways. Some aspects of her experience were awful for her, and traumatic for myself, also causing suffering for other family members in different ways. I feel a lot of compassion towards her now, and though its been a hard road to walk along, I am indeed grateful for the little bit of pale blue, which I am reminded of each year when I look at the “Forget-me-nots” in my own garden. My mother enjoyed gardening, and had many large clumps of “Forget-me-nots” growing in the garden which she tended with care when she was able to. I admire her now for all she gave to me and I am in a better place to appreciate it. So for my dear mum, Eleonora Rosa Gray (née Eicher) “Norli” I miss you. This poem is my thank you.

Alabaster Loving – Jenny Meehan 2020 Final Edit

I’ve hardened my heart;
made a cave
within which
I can hide away
my flesh; bruised, dark.

It sobs in silence
surrounded;
still,
alone.

You came later; bearing gifts from afar…

Some nativity story, you said; in recognition of me being
the chosen one.
Redeemer, and Saviour of your soul;
my love,
holding the hope you hungered for.

But I could not carry it.

Each little spark of faith
placed religiously
in rapid motion;

Layer upon layer
tear upon tear
Sorrow upon sorrow.

You looked to me;
believed your self would define
your better being
in a little child…

But I could not carry it.

“I wish you were like other mummies.” I say.

And you are sadder still.

I see them, with their children, laughing.

I wish for my own fairy godmother;
able to transform rags.
Cinderella’s dress is blue, with a bright bodice.
Joy is not squeezed out of her; she lives.
Reality on the cover of a single book.

I am sorry for my hard heart. I know now
it must have hurt you; the reality.
I pulled myself together
into such a tight knot;
in order to preserve my life.
I did not mean to make a stone of it.

I remember wanting you, on the coach back from Bexhill.
Lumps in my throat (I had mumps)
but also bumps of sadness.
Looking out of the window, and seeing you in the distance…
(though you were not really there, as we had not got back yet.)
I wanted to buy you some flowers; they were “Gypsophila”
(Commonly known as “Baby’s Breath”)
Small, white, and dry,
yet pretty.

Then you were there.
I was glad to see you. You felt like my Mummy, and you looked after me.
But it didn’t last very long.
The flowers, quite possibly,
outlived you.

I forget good times.
I’m sorry for that. I know they are there.
I wrapped the gifts you gave in the paper you gave.
It was not soft, pink, tissue, but earth brown; protective.
I wish it were different.

It’s hard to think of the colours.
Do they make the darkness darker?

“Gypsophila; commonly known as “Baby’s Breath”.

In tight knots of white,
I fight, outward

Tight

clutch your bunch, little hands…
Finger strands
reach
as thin, fine, stalks
balancing flowers
in air.

Know “Gypsophila ” means gypsum- loving.
Gypsum white.
Hard.
I’m making my dry flowers damp.
I sow tears,
but my flesh is warm.

I think you are in heaven now.
It being a safe place; I know you are fine.
I know your maker knows you
and holds your story within his own flesh;
bound in holy suffering;
Complete.
Divine.

I know he knows my story too…
Incomplete, yet unravelling.

Unravelling, as self-seeded flowers…
Small, and unpretending.
Moisture loving,
in the childhood garden.

Ever living, little eyes; meeting mine.

No need of nurture. Only spread
by finding crevice or gap
in which to place and plant
their fragile root.

Forget-Me-Nots
Lay their cloud-like carpet over the earth,
winking dots of timid,
almost, blue.

“The Creator thought he had finished giving
the flowers their colours, then
he heard one whisper; “Forget me not!”
There was nothing left but a very, small, amount of blue.
But the forget-me-not was delighted to wear
such a light blue shade.”

I can hold my stone; I need not throw it…

Hold it.

Bury it.

Not re-membered – exactly –
but neither

forgot.

Jenny Meehan 2018 (2020 final edit)

Here’s a link to me reading the poem of you tube.

My mum was born in Germany, in Villingen in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

She then lived in Basel, Switzerland. I think they moved there when she was around 4 just before the Second World War. When she was around 19 or 20 she came to the UK and worked as an Au Pair for the Boxall family in New Malden, Surrey. Dr Peter Alfred Boxall was a General Practitioner in New Malden, Surrey from 1951 -1988. My mother helped look after the two children. I understand they later went on to have two more children. She got married in 1957 to my Dad, Gordon William Gray. She brought up three children, myself and two siblings. Her mental health disorders were an immense challenge. It’s amazing what she achieved, and I am very grateful for her and having her influence in my life. She was a key factor in my love of art and with respect to the Christian faith. Thanks Mum. x

Putting “Keim Galaxies” Series of artworks up on redbubble.com at the moment!

I am gradually putting the Galaxies up online at redbubble.com.

All my artwork is ©jenny meehan.

Redbubble.com is a print on demand site, so a useful way of making my work accessible and affordable. The products are good quality.

Delivery may take some time at the moment but take a look on the website for more information.

When you buy anything with my art/design on, I will get an artist’s margin. Once deductions for manufacturing, exchange rates etc taken off I don’t get very much. It’s around 25% of what you pay. However, I am keen to keep my work on there to be as affordable as possible, so I am keeping my margin low. I could make it higher, but then the increase in margin reflects the overall cost to you. The main advantage is that they take care of all the work apart from actually my own creation of the image in the first place. It makes my work accessible which is very important to me. It’s quick and convenient for the buyer and doesn’t tie me down with manufacturing the artwork in various forms. Let’s face it…It takes enough work to create the art work in the first place, without needing to distribute it. I am learning more as I get older to accept my own limitations!

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore is my main redbubble.com portfolio, and the “explore” option is the best way of taking a quick look at which designs I have posted up on there.

Bit more about the Galaxies:

The “Keim Galaxies” range from the subtle and spontaneous, to the bold and highly ordered. I introduced some obviously geometric elements, but while putting them into play, I also aimed to keep a sense of fluidity where possible. I’ve played with contrasts in line, clarity, shape, pattern, scale, and colour, thereby forming an interesting range of imaginative “Galaxies” I hope you’ll enjoy.

These designs are evidence of beauty expressed through an adventurous, creative, process. They are perfect for interiors which embrace the natural mineral and earth colours. These designs will perfectly complement any eco-friendly interior setting where traditional pigment paint colours are utilised. Many of these designs will also work to add a contemporary twist in a historic/heritage setting, due to the harmony of the colour palette.

The “Keim Galaxies” were made possible through the kind donation of un-manipulated digital images of Keim Mineral Paint colours being mixed at the Telford, UK site. These images were used as the starting material for art/designs. This was an independent project, not a commissioned series or work, but having previously used Keim Mineral Paints for several murals I painted, I devised the series of “Keim Galaxies” to celebrate my love of this paint. I continue to use it in most of my original fine paintings, but working digitally is part of my artistic practice, and it was a delight to use the colours I love in a slightly different way!

The titles of the Keim Galaxies were created through imaginative ingenuity, and were gathered from many sources, including personal memories, music, dance, and the emotions they illicit when viewed. Spirituality, faith, prayer, and joy in life informs all of my visual art working.

It feels good to use eco-friendly, environmentally-friendly paints with traditional colours in a new and innovative way, bringing quite a contemporary twist to the traditional mineral pigments which I love. The digital process and dyes used in printing have different aesthetic qualities to the mineral pigments, but the colour palette resonates throughout the series, with the occasional addition of the bright red which is the colour of the Keim paint bucket!

If there is something of mine you have seen on Instagram, LinkedIn, or my Jenny Meehan Contemporary Artist’s Journal and you would like it available on redbubble, just contact me directly and I can put it up on redbubble.com.

Contact me:

https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/jenny-meehan-jennifer-meehan-how-to-contact-me.

I am able to locate the artwork from my extensive digital archive and put it up on redbubble within 3 days. Once it’s up there, you purchase the print or product online and your order is fulfilled by redbubble.com

Other options for buying are you contact me and I can get a print made elsewhere, but generally this often tends to work out more expensive and does take longer. However, If you require a signed art print, or redbubble do not offer the substrate or format you need, this is a better option for you.

Interior designers looking for specific formats and substrates for large scale artwork for corporate, office and business environments or other public spaces may wish to contact me directly for custom made, large scale, interior wall art, prints, etc. Enquiries most welcome.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore is the best link to take a quick peruse of which designs I have posted up on Redbubble. This is my MAIN redbubble.com portfolio and the one I post up the “Keim Galaxies” Series.

I do have an additional secondary redbubble.com portfolio, but this just has geometric patterns on it. https://www.redbubble.com/people/JennyMeehan/explore

Here are some examples of the “Keim Galaxies” I have already put up on my redbubble portfolio, with direct links to the art/design.

This “Keim Galaxy” is titled; “Undergrowth” You can see options for having it printed on large scale wall art, wall hangings and other soft furnishing and merchandise on the print on demand site redbbubble.com. Great for interior designers or anyone seeking to develop a new look for their interiors, be they domestic, industrial, office or other.

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/47584960

Note; image above is low resolution and a lower quality image than that possible to license via DACS

This “Keim Galaxy” is titled “Star Quality”

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/47584667

Note; image above is low resolution and a lower quality image than that possible to license via DACS

This “Keim Galaxy” is titled “Pure and Simple”

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/47584464

Note; image above is low resolution and a lower quality image than that possible to license via DACS

This “Keim Galaxy” is titled “Psychedelia” https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/47584216

Note; image above is low resolution and a lower quality image than that possible to license via DACS

General Helpful Info on buying prints, soft furnishings, home decor and other merchandise for the home from redbubble.com

Take a look at my art/designs on redbubble, which is a print on demand site. I get a small royalty type payment if you buy something with my design on it. Every little helps!

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

PS Having browsed my available designs, if you later find yourself looking under the SHOP section of the redbubble site, double check you are looking at my products. (Its easy to end up navigating from one artists profile to another without realising!)

If you come into the site from any route, or just lose your way (there are thousands of artists on the site!) by putting “Jenny Meehan” or “Jennyjimjams” in the internal search engine you will be directed/redirected to my products.

I have a profile image and profile name “Jenny Meehan” so clicking on either will take you to my main profile! Any problems, feel free to contact me for help.

Art Image Licensing – How to use an image created by Jenny Meehan

If you want a licence for use, this is possible through the Designer and Artists’ Copyright Society (DACS) Contact me in the first instance. While licensing fees proposed by DACS are in line with the industry standard, I can often be flexible regarding fees in certain circumstances, depending on project, and the initial fee proposed by DACS is only a starting point. I appreciate the need for publishing companies and graphic designers to work within a feasible budget!

Exhibitions and Projects I’m involved in during 2020

Dwell Time Launch on 15th July

I am delighted to have my submitted work “Sticky Note to Myself” included in this very worthwhile publication and the launch was a really interesting online event.

Text quoted from https://communityrail.org.uk

“With Covid-19 putting the world on hold, Community Rail Award winners, Dwell Time has postponed their Issue 2 publication launches in March as the UK went into lockdown. In place of the live events originally scheduled for March, an online launch in July will feature their original film programme focusing on mental well-being.

The online launch programme features selected films by Lucy Barker & Ben NCM, Louis Benoit, Community Rail Cumbria, Robert C Clarke, Ralph Dartford, Leo Fernandez-Arias, Katie Gornall, Finn Harvor, Sophie Hoyle, Janet Lees, Maciej Piątek, Carolyn Richardson, Libby Scarlett.

Dwell Time’s YouTube channel will feature the film programme from midday on Wednesday 15 July 2020. Discussions about the films are welcomed on the Dwell Time Facebook and Twitter pages from midday, welcoming feedback and comments about the films and the issues they raise plus links to related artworks and support.

Dwell Time Issue 2 will be available to order by post and a pdf download available from the Dwell Time website. The print publication and pdf are free with only postage costs applicable.

When it is safe to open, Issue 2 will also be available from Dwell Time Central in Huddersfield with wider distribution when it’s possible.”

Link to the Dwell Time website:

https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/

Specific link to my submitted art work:

https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/jenny-meehan-sticky-note-to-my-self/

sticky note to myself by jenny meehan, dwell time, penistone line, train track

“This piece is called “Sticky Note to my Self”. The realities of life are sometimes very hard to bear. Like printed matter, certain facts stare us in the face, and however hard we try to pull them off, it’s just not possible. I chose facts about the Penistone line, because of the publication which is part of the Dwell Time project, but this artwork refers to my own significant train journey to London for psychotherapy on a weekly basis for five years. This sticky note reminds me of my internal journey from one place to another…going in either direction over different units of time.

Thankfully with the right help and support, over the years, the overarching movement is in the direction of health: MOVING and BEING. I hope this is helpful to you in some way.”

“Double Elephant Print Workshop” Interactive Animation Project

I’m looking forward to seeing this too!

Here’s some info quoted from the call out:

Riddle 57: an interactive animation

Venue: online | City: Exeter | Region: Devon

“Double Elephant Print Workshop have launched a lockdown project to bring together poets, historians, animators and printmakers to turn a 1000 year old riddle into an animated interactive encounter.

What is Riddle 57?

Riddle 57 is one of 94 from the Exeter Book, a tenth-century anthology of poetry in Exeter Cathedral’s library, recognised by UNESCO as one of the world’s principal cultural artefacts.

What’s the project?

The riddles in the Exeter Book are playful little windows into lives 1000 years ago. They’re dynamic – demanding to be played, replayed and interpreted.

We’re gathering a variety of images created to illustrate the interactive riddle that can be “played” by the reader online. We aim to launch this by the end of July / early August 2020.

Depending on how you translate riddle 57, it can be interpreted many ways. We’ve collaborated with Medievalists Prof Chris Jones and Dr Megan Cavell as well as contemporary poet Jacob Polley to explore translations of the text. We want to encourage a creative relationship with the text rather than seek to only find solutions.

What am I responding to?

Your work can respond to any of the three riddle translations or use Jacob Polley’s Picture Me prompts to conjure ideas from the text – whatever words or lines speak to you.

Translation 1

The air bears little things

over craggy hills.

Remarkably black they are, cloaked in shadow darkly.

Unstinting of song, they travel in troops,

call out loudly,

trample tree-filled shores, sometimes perch on dwellings of the children of men.

They call themselves by name.

Translation 2

The breeze carries tiny creatures

over braes and banks.

They are jet-black and dusty, sallow-shawled.

Loud as a chanter’s drone they swarm in droves,

drawl noisily.

Sometimes they visit groves and glen, sometimes buzz the colonies of men.

Please be naming yourselves then!

Translation 3

This emptiness floats little somethings

over steep bright slopes.

They’re blinked out in nightwear, black-dark.

Full of song when keyed together,

they carry the noise

sometimes tracked on timbered stands, the headlands of the bairns of men.

They name themselves.

Prompts:

Picture Me….

… aire, open space, a breeze, emptiness, a nothingness on which things are carried.

… little things lifted, carried,

… a hillside, a slope, a craggy hill, a timbered headland, a glen.

… the blackest things.

… a cloak of shadow.

… a heap, a mass, a crowd.

… a coming together to sound.

… a perch, a print, a mark, an impression, a stamp.

… a built hall, a walled place, a city hall, a crafty quarter, a thought house.”

I love this kind of project, so was very pleased to come across it. My past degree in Literature helped me develop a love of digging deeper into text, and so it was great to put that interest into action with my visual art.

My submission:

“Full of song when keyed together.” (Also titled; “Ink Internal Landscape)

I often employ dual titles for my work.

ink internal landscape, full of song when keyed together, jenny meehan, drawing, ink, stick, abstract expressionist, landscape, imagination, mind, music, visual sound, ©jenny meehan

“This drawing was made with a stick and some ink. It’s a kind of inner landscape; an exploration, which resonates for me with the black birds songs in my garden, heard during this time of lockdown. How beautiful time to reflect can be!

The little marks and gestures strike, my mind in a musical way, taking journeys through air and over ground, both material and immaterial, some kind of visual sound is heard in the composition. So it was great to find a line in this piece of writing, which met my drawing in such an extraordinary way. It’s perfect; “Full of song when keyed together.”

I’ve created two reflections digitally on the original drawing, so keying together the first in a way which responds to translation 3 of the riddle’s words.

I’m happy for any, all, or any selection of the submitted images to be used if required. The non symmetrical image is the one depicting original drawing.”

All in the Mind Festival 2020

12 Sep, 11:00 – 18:00

Eastrop Park, Eastrop Ln, Basingstoke RG21 4QB, UK

All in the Mind is an annual performing arts festival inspired by mental health.

My short video “Time Table” will be part of the “All in the Mind” Festival 2020.

Link to “All in the Mind” festival website:

https://www.aitmfestival.com/events/all-in-the-mind-festival-2020

Blurb on the site:

“The ONLY outdoor arts festival in the UK dedicated to mental health.
All in the Mind is the leading outdoor mental health arts festival in the UK.

The festival is a free annual one-day event offering a broad range of music, dance, spoken word and theatre set within the water meadows of the River Loddon. This family friendly festival inspires and delights audiences of all ages offering multiple ways to have your mind blown!”

Well, it’s online this year, so a bit different. I’m looking forward to seeing all the contributions to it. It looks good!

Info on my short video “Time Table”

Timetable – Jenny Meehan

“Timetable” by Jenny Meehan 2020 to music by Kevin MacLeod “Screen Saver” (sourced from freepd.com. CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication)

I made this video at the end of last year before Covid-19, Coronavirus, UK lock down and all that has brought many more people to a situation of working from home.

All my forms of work are mostly unpaid, and it becomes a challenge to maintain a sense of self and a sense of value in our capitalist society which measures value by status and money.

My sense of self was fundamentally challenged during a period of depression between 2008 and 2013, yet my recovery journey, with the support of psychotherapy, transformed the adverse effects of trauma into greater self awareness which I often express through my creative work.

Finding my own story, and a sense of significance within it; finding a knowledge of inner value which is not dependent on comparing circumstances or other peoples perceptions but instead is rooted in healthy self esteem, is the touch stone of this work.

Here’s the video

It’s quite funny now looking at this and seeing the blank pages of the diary. When I created the video I could never have imagined I would actually look through my diary and have blank pages! The diary I used for the video was an old one, but now, with this SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) pandemic and the lockdown, my diary really does look blank! I have even changed from a larger page diary to a much smaller one!

In the video I played with appearances; sometimes you see my writing on the page and other times you don’t, plus the diary has nothing in it (apparently) to reflect the refusal to acknowledge the value of my time and work, both domestic, as a mother/homemaker and also as an artist. The work which takes place in the domestic sphere appears invisible and unrecorded. Yet it’s presence is real, transformative, vital and valuable.

Though I am reacting to the terminology out of it’s context, I was so struck by the term “economically inactive” as used by Priti Patel in February this year, and so shocked that the valuable unpaid work/activities of so many was apparently so dispensable that it could be put aside with such ease, and so little consequence, (plus the massive amount of other reasons people may not be in paid employment), that it made me even gladder that I made the video “Time Table”. It’s been helpful for me personally to recognise that my own struggles with self-esteem are indeed affected by the culture I live in, and there is a very present, yet active onslaught of “money = value” which can be erosive to many people in many different ways.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/priti-patel-immigration-uk-home-office-construction-farming-work-a9345151.html

Lipreaders D/deaf/Hard of Hearing/Hearing Loss/Special Needs

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met. I’ve combined my passion for art and design with an interest in communication needs, face masks, and special needs/disabilities.. plus the need for increasing deaf awareness so vital at this current time where mass masking is a supplementary public health measure to physical distancing.

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Though I am a fine artist, I do love a dabble in graphic design. And I am always interested in combining different part of my life and experience together. My earlier life, though very different to my life now, is a wonderful part of my story and when I can weave past interests and the motivations which led me there together with my visual art working and writing, then I am one very happy person.

Though not having personal experience of deafness so far in life, I have consulted those who have and sought to take feedback and suggestions when working on the designs. Raising awareness of disabilities which cannot be seen IS something I am passionate about. This is probably to do with my own experience of significant mental health challenges, plus the experience of physical disability prior to my knee replacement which was due to osteoarthritis plus the consequences of a past injury.

Also, communication and improving communication between people is a key aspiration in my life. As a visual artist, the chance to do this through art is very appealing. I sell this work over the print on demand website Redbubble because it’s an excellent way of sharing my work in an accessible way. After various deductions, I get around 25% of the price you pay. It is not huge, true… not as much as I get when I sell an original painting to someone, for example. But it makes a small contribution to my work and I do need funding for it, however small. In order to experiment and innovate freely, I need materials and time. Once I have done the work, putting it up on the site is relatively quick, and as I don’t put my energy into selling or marketing my (mostly fine) art, it provides one, small, avenue of funding. Every little really does help.

You can buy products, including masks, with my designs on here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

deaf,Deaf,reusable,cloth,facemask, fabric face mask, face covering, mask, disability awareness, lipreading, lipreader, hard of hearing, non-medical face masks, covid-19, coronavirus, pandemic, designer_jennymeehan ©jenny meehan

deaf_Deaf_reusable_cloth_face_mask_-designer_jennymeehan deaf,Deaf,reusable,cloth,facemask, fabric face mask, face covering, mask, disability awareness, lipreading, lipreader, hard of hearing, non-medical face masks, covid-19, coronavirus, pandemic, designer_jennymeehan ©jenny meehan

You can buy products, including masks, with my designs on here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

I have created the design artwork and ideas. Redubble fufil your order but i get an artist’s margin which helps support my fine art. I do need your support in order to sustain my fine art working. I am fully committed to my role as an fine artist in life, but it’s never been a profit making mission! I am glad to possess design skills which I can put to use in this way. This is a useful task and project in the current coronavirus pandemic and I hope so very much that all the work and effort I have put into creating these designs is helpful to many. I believe offering people a plenty of choice in how they navigate this new normal, especially at this time of mass masking as a public health measure, can make communication a little bit easier and potentially really improve deaf awareness and disability awareness long term. There are also many hidden disabilities and special needs which deserve attention, respect and understanding. Mass Masking has the potential to divide people, as we can see already. But it can also create understanding and awareness, kindness and a greater appreciation of other people. It’s up to us to make the right decisions and get optimal results which benefit people.

deaf,Deaf,reusable,cloth,facemask, fabric face mask, face covering, mask, disability awareness, lipreading, lipreader, hard of hearing, non-medical face masks, covid-19, coronavirus, pandemic, designer_jennymeehan ©jenny meehan

You can buy products, including masks, with my designs on here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

You can buy products, including masks, with my designs on here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

There are many more new designs… 50 plus! As I am creating a few different ones each week.

You can buy products, including masks, with my designs on here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

Well, that’s all from me for now. Til September posting.

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?

My artwork is particularly suitable for themes of: faith, religion, philosophy, Christian, church, all faith traditions, inter-faith, spirituality, the subconscious, psychoanalytic themes, mindfulness, contemplative practices, healing, health, both physical and mental, trauma recovery, metaphysical and psychological focused writings, the devotional life, and many other subjects.

Indeed, pretty much any subject matter or theme which benefits from a more abstract graphic image; one which also conveys basic feelings and ideas in an open and experimental manner; would benefit from it’s clarity of communication being enhanced by one of my art images.

From the lyrical abstraction of some of abstract expressionist style textured paintings, to the geometric abstraction clear edged imagery, which I also produce, the value of non representational imagery in book cover design which is both colourful and interesting, and stimulates the eye with colour and striking composition, cannot be under estimated.

If you are looking for something particular, do contact me, because I only display a small amount on the internet and may even be able to create something specific to your needs, or be able to locate something from my extensive archives which meets your need.

Contact me in the first instance. Licensing is administrated via the Artist’s Collecting Society, DACS. They propose a fee in line with the industry standard. I can normally be flexible about the fee to a point.

It should be noted that the licence fee is proposed by DACS. Once a clear idea of the exact licence required has been established, and you have been informed of the standard appropriate fee, I sometimes, (subject to circumstances and my level of interest in having my work used in your project), have some room for flexibility about final fees agreed. I am happy to negotiate, and understand that budgets can be restricting. Sometimes an artwork and it’s purpose are literally made for each other. Together we can make it happen!

I do not, however, permit my work to be used for free. This is my work and it takes time and money to create. Please ensue you obtain an appropriate licence, and the correct permission if you wish to use my art images.

Twitter: jennymeehan@jennymeehanart

Tweets by jennymeehanart

Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

Follow Jenny Meehan! British Contemporary Artist’s Online Art Journal. Artist’s Blog/Art Journal. Posts published every two months.

TO FOLLOW THIS ARTIST’S BLOG SIMPLY GO TO THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN, LOCATE THE “FOLLOW” BOX AND POP IN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. YOU WILL THEN RECEIVE MONTHLY UPDATES.

jenny meehan surrey artist london contemporary female artist art journal art blog image

jenny meehan surrey artist london contemporary female artist artists journal artists blog

Who is Jenny Meehan? (Well… I’m still trying to work that one out…)

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) is a painter-poet, artist-author and Contemplative (Christian faith tradition) based in East Surrey/South West London. Her interest in Christ-centred spirituality and creativity are the main focus of this artist’s journal, which rambles and meanders on, maybe acting as a personal (yet open to view) note book as much as anything else. Trauma recovery, mental health awareness, and psychotherapy/psychoanalysis are all very interesting. And yes; it’s me writing this. Feels odd… But it’s fun.

jenny meehan london surrey contemporary artist blog

If you would like to give money to help support my creative practice I can accept it quickly and easily through the Paypal.me process. Simply put the following in your browser:

paypal.me/jennymeehan

and follow the prompts. Please consider supporting my work in this way if it strikes a chord with you and you are able to do so. Unfortunately there isn’t a system in this facility for me to send a thank you. But if you do use it, then understand that I am grateful!

I do need financial support.

Another way you could support my participation in the visual arts could be by praying for me, if that’s part of your daily life. I’m a progressive Christian in faith focus, but prayers from any religious tradition are ALL VERY WELCOME! Creativity is a gift from God, and if you believe in a LOVING Creator, and you feel my creativity reflects and connects with your sense of the divine presence expressed in the world, then throw in some prayers for me. I need strength and encouragement in many ways.

Individual or Small Group Daytime Art Tuition with Jenny Meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) BA Hons (Lit.) PGCE periodically offers art tuition. Availability depends on other commitments.

I’m a trained teacher (PGCE in Education) and subject to other commitments can sometimes offer individual or small group daytime art tuition. My specialism is abstract painting, however, I can also teach a range of general art and design techniques in a friendly and accessible way. My emphasis is on your finding your own personal direction. Current students include beginners as well as experienced artists.

PS I have stopped this at the current time.

Buy Original Fine Paintings by Jenny Meehan

Both original fine paintings, other artwork forms, and affordable photo-mechanically produced prints are available to purchase.

If you require original fine paintings in the lyrical abstract style, then contact me!

jenny meehan painting lyrical abstract floral promised land/break out painting

Why read “Jenny Meehan – Contemporary Artist’s Journal: The Artist’s Meandering Discourses – poetry – painting – spirituality (mostly!)?

This artist’s blog is of interest to artists, art collectors, art lovers and anyone interested in fine art. Those interested in British 21st century female contemporary artists, women and art, religious art, spirituality and art, and psychoanalysis and art, will probably enjoy dipping into this Jenny Meehan Contemporary Artist’s Journal.

Art collectors are often interested in the processes, techniques, interests and influences of the artists whose work they collect, and sharing my thoughts and perspectives through a blog is an important dimension of my creative practice.

I describe my painting as being romantic,expressionistic, abstract and lyrical. Art collectors interested in lyrical abstraction, abstract expressionist, and essentially romantic art, are likely to find my paintings an interesting and exciting addition to their art collection.

I am a self-representing artist, whose aim is to ensure I continue to develop my painting practice in an innovative and pioneering way, rather than attempt some kind of commercial success, and whose aim is also that my work is historically relevant, rather then celebrated in that so called and illusive “art world”. I hope to add to the number of people who value, collect, and develop an interest in my paintings and to thereby sustain and develop my practice over many years.

Jenny Meehan is an established artist who has been exhibiting for over ten years, mostly in the UK. Notable exhibitions include, most recently being selected for the Imagined Worlds touring exhibition of artworks inspired by the poem ‘Kubla Khan’ and inclusion in “Building Bridges, the Female Perspective” at Tower Bridge Victorian Engine Rooms in 2016. Jenny has been a keen supporter of various charity art exhibitions over the years including the National Brain Appeals ” A Letter in Mind” at Gallery@oxo, South Bank, London and the “Anatomy for Life” Exhibition for Brighton Sussex University Hospitals Trust in 2015

Selected by a wide range of judges in open submission exhibitions, her work appeals to the aesthetic and emotional discernment of many, and has been displayed in many prestigious galleries. These include the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, in 2015, as part of their Open Exhibition, and the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, West Sussex, as part of the Pallant House Gallery/St Wilfrid’s Hospice Open Art Exhibition in 2010.

Jenny Meehan’s work has been included in several academic projects and and publications including “Speaking Out – Women Recovering from the Trauma of Violence” by Nicole Fayard in 2014 and the ongoing “Recovery” Exhibition project – Institute Of Mental Health/City Arts, Nottingham University, also in 2014. While her romantic, lyrical, expressionistic, abstract paintings offer a contemplative space free from cares and concerns, other strands of her practice engage with subjects ranging from violence, trauma recovery, psychoanalysis, and mental health.

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION FOR OTHER IMAGES

Permission is always sought before use. When I include images, I do so in the belief that this will not cause commercial harm to the copyright holder. I believe that this is fair use and does not infringe copyright. Images are used in order for me to comment and reference them in relation to my own creative and artistic practice. When I include extracts of text, I also do so with the understanding that again, this is permissible under the widely accepted fair usage terms with respect to copyright.

Outline of my “Fair Use” rationale, which is applicable to all images from other sources which I include on this blog:
There is no alternative, public domain or free-copyrighted replacement image available to my knowledge.
Its inclusion in my blog adds significantly to my narrative because it shows the subject which I want to refer to and relate to my own artistic practice and is necessary in order for me to communicate accurately my observations/critical appraisal/appreciation/educate my readers, in understanding my perspectives on art and life. Inclusion is for information, education and analysis only. The text discussing the significance of the included art work is enhanced by inclusion of the image. The image is a low resolution copy of the original work of such low quality that it will not affect potential sales of the art work.

Social Media: Jenny Meehan

Jenny Meehan – UK based painter-poet artist-author

Specialism: Geometric and Lyrical Abstraction

Artist Journal: https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/

Image licensing via DACS Designer and Artists Copyright Society (DACS proposed fees are negotiable contact me in first instance)

https://www.youtube.com/user/jennyjimjams

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

https://twitter.com/jennymeehanart

Copyright Information – Jenny Meehan

Permission must be sought in advance for the reproduction, copying or any other use of any images by Jenny Meehan. Individuals or businesses seeking licences or permission to use, copy or reproduce any image by Jenny Meehan should, in the first instance, contact Jenny Meehan.

Any persons discovered to be reproducing, copying or using images by Jenny Meehan without prior consent, authorisation or permission will be put on notice that Jenny Meehan is the copyright owner and asked to immediately cease and desist the infringing activity. If a satisfactory response and / or compliance is not forthcoming promptly, the matter will be pursued. For clarification of the laws of copyright, please contact the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS). www.dacs.org.uk

Copyright for all visual art by Jenny Meehan is managed by the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) in the UK. If you wish to licence a work of art by Jenny Meehan, please contact Jenny Meehan in the first instance to clarify your requirements.

Licencing an image is quick and easy for both parties and is organised through the Design and Artist Copyright Society. It can be done online through their request form:

https://dacs.secure.force.com/enquiry/

For an overview on image licensing on the DACS website, look here.

https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works

Please NOTE: the “Quote” suggested is a proposed fee in line with the industry standard. While I do stick broadly to the industry standard with respect to fees, I appreciate the need to stick to a budget in publishing, and the quote is a proposed amount. I normally have some flexibility!

DACS will automatically propose a licensing fee in line with the industry standard. However, please note, this is a negotiable fee. I am happy to be flexible about the initial fee proposed, and it’s not a problem if the initially proposed fee is outside your budget. Administration of the licensing process is facilitated through DACS, who liaise between us with respect to the exact fee agreed. Depending on circumstances and the nature of your project, I can offer fee reductions for a certain percentage of licensing arrangements.

If you use their online form and attach the low resolution image of my artwork which you have found on the internet, they will know which image you seek permission for. You can also contact me directly in the first instance if you wish to, of course. Any arrangements will need to be made through the Designer and Artists’ Copyright Society, but I can often offer the opportunity to alter images, for example, putting in different aspect ratios or colourways, so it’s really helpful to communicate with designers and clients first with respect to the actual image required.

So, feel free to contact me if you are looking for a particular type of artwork image, as I have a large archive of images. I will also be able to let you know the maximum size the digital image is available at. If you then wish to licence the artwork image, you would then contact the Design and Artist Copyright Society to arrange the licencing agreement according to your requirements. Once paid and agreed, I then supply the high resolution image directly to you.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

This was below the proposed licencing fee initially suggested to the client by DACS, which was (in that year) £382 +vat, but I had a personal interest in the project therefore was happy to reduce the fee accordingly.

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

My images can be licensed for use easily and quickly. DACS have price lists on their website for different types of use, which should be used only a guide for a proposed fee. It’s a starting point. I can normally be flexible.

Posted in abstract internal (imaginative) and external landscape(representational) painting, coronavirus covid-19 time, feminist art, licensable images, poetry by jenny meehan, Surrey culture/arts-Kingston Upon Thames, South West London, United Kingdom, Uncategorized, women artists, work from home | Leave a Comment »
Tags: "Double Elephant Print Workshop" Interactive Animation Project, alabaster loving poem, all in the mind festival, contemporary women artists, coronavirus, deaf, deaf masks, designer facemasks, dwell time online launch, Face masks, facecovering, facemasks, hard of hearing, identity and schizophrenia, inclusive art, inclusive design, invisible disabilities, invisible disability, keim galaxies for sale, Lipreaders, mental health, mothers, poetry and art, timetable video, window masks thoughts, womens art, working from home

What is a Profession? – Sculpture at Morley College; – “The Art of Caring” Online Exhibition – Face Masks for Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing – Thoughts on Transparent Window Masks, Clear Face Masks

May 5, 2020

Screenshots of some Recent Galaxies!

Each Galaxy started with a bucket of Keim Mineral Paint! I then took the initial image and worked my magic digitally!

Buy the “Keim Galaxies” as printed products on the print-on-demand website “Redbubble.com”

Yes, I am gradually putting up the rather large series of work on my Artist’s page on Redbubble! It takes some time so they are not all up there. I am basically adding them at the same time as I have Skype meetings with my fellow artists at Kingston Artists’ Open Studios each week. We cannot meet in person, but Skype is just fine, with the added advantage of being able to work on the computer, or whatever we are currently working on at the same time!

This is my WordPress Artist’s Journal, so I am going to ramble on on my usual meandering course for the rest of this post. If you would like to see the beautiful “Keim Galaxies” I put most of them up in a previous post, so either skim down to that, or follow the link to my Artist’s Page on Redubble.com where I have posted some of them already!

Here is the link to the “Explore” designs section at Redbubble.com. It displays the image as a simple, flat, square, as the example below. When you find a design you like and want to see products in the shop, there’s another link to follow! Then another whole world opens. Maybe quite a useful one at the moment, with the shops being in the situation they are in. There is stationery, soft furnishings, wall art, greetings cards, prints, posters, home furnishings, accessories, and much more.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

“Kind of Colossal” ©Jenny Meehan

Note: images are low resolution and don’t reflect full sized image quality.

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over 50 Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

This is not very good for communications though…particularly for those who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing or have special needs which mean they really do need to see your face when talking. There are many, many ways you can help make things easier, and the most important thing is to be kind and understanding. Ask the person you are talking to what you can do to help, and what they prefer. Everyone is very different. Some people are comfortable with you lowering your mask at distance, others may not be. There are speech to text apps, pen and paper, good lighting, reduction of background noise, making sure you face the person directly, re phrase and repeat if necessary. These are just a few suggestions.

Thoughts on Clear Facemasks, See-Through Masks, Window Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing + Lipreading

Clear Facemasks, See-Through Masks, Window Masks are very popular, but may not suit every persons needs or preferences. I feel the more choice people have the better, and so I hope my designs can be a useful resource for many Deaf/deaf hard of hearing folk, especially for those routine tasks like shopping, etc where most of the communications will be with hearing folk. While many people lipread, its one mode of communication and lack of awareness and knowledge mean even if a deaf person is wearing a clear mask, window mask, or see-through mask, the hearing person may assume that seeing their lips alone will suffice, whereas this is not always the case at all.

A deaf/Deaf person wearing a deaf mask with a transparent front may still want someone to write something down for clarification, or prefer to use AI… There are many wonderful speech to texts Apps available. Or to write something down may be preferable. So while it is wonderful, very wonderful, that deaf/Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can access the range of deaf masks sometimes called “Smile Masks”, I also feel it’s vital to recognise that there is a huge range of needs and preferences, and that different situations mean that there are also other options available which can help to aid communication and also deaf awareness/disability awareness. People vary greatly and with a better and increased awareness of the everyday difficulties in communication as a result of mass masking as a public health measure, it is possible for hearing people to become more informed, aware and educated as to the many things which a deaf/Deaf or Hard of Hearing person may prefer them to do. To see lips and face can also be achieved by the other person removing their face covering. In many situations this is very appropriate and can be one at distance as long as lighting is good and the deaf person can “see to hear”.

Here are some of my designs, but I create a few each week, so do take a look at my redbubble portfolio for more!

I have made the text very bold and big, so that the words can be read clearly at distance. I am creating some more designs at the moment with slightly less bold text too, and also creating slogan masks for special needs. There are pin badges and other products available with most of the designs on. I am open to any suggestions as to options which may be helpful to people. Feel free to contact me with suggestions. I have consulted with several people who are deaf/Deaf Hard of Hearing and who have experience of Hearing Loss to try and get a good picture of a range of experiences and preferences. I hope it helps.

jenny meehan surrey artist london contemporary female artist

About Jenny Meehan

I’m a British fine and applied artist, painter and poet creating original exciting artwork.

This artwork is an evolution of the beautiful mineral pigments used in Keim Mineral paints and part of an extensive portfolio of lyrically abstract/geometric abstract designs created from my love of painting, colour, and a focus on the environment through raising awareness that we have a choice to use alternatives to film forming synthetic paint.

This strand of my work allows me to offer accessible and affordable art to a wide range of people. My original fine paintings are also available to by, contact me on Instagram via link in bio or through my Artist’s Journal:

https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/jenny-meehan-jennifer-meehan-how-to-contact-me

All art ©Jenny Meehan image licensing via DACS only but initial proposed fee often negotiable.

……

..You can buy my work as prints, posters, soft furnishings, stationery, cloth face masks, bedding, accessories, bags, headscarves, wall hangings, clothing, designer clothing, plus more… on redbubble.com.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

(video doesn’t seem to work on my phone…sorry! looking into why!)

“Timetable” by Jenny Meehan 2020 to music by Kevin MacLeod “Screen Saver” (sourced from freepd.com. CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication)

I made this video a while back, before the Covid-19, Coronavirus, UK lock down and all that has brought many more people to a situation of working from home. It seems odd looking at it now!

The video was made last year, in 2019. At the end of last year I was experimenting with making short video clips, just for a change. My very short piece “Time Table” was selected for screening at an event in Manchester. Info below:

screening shown on 3rd December 2019 at STRETCH – Reel Time event. Held at Mirabel Studios 14 -20 Mirabel Street Manchester M31PJ

My statement:

“As an artist, writer, and home-maker, I manage my time by working in a completely piecemeal, and often spontaneous, way. I integrate my creative practice within my domestic life and utilise the flexibility inherent in this way of life. I used my work space, (AKA kitchen) as the setting for the film “Time Table”. I often produce work on my kitchen table is the object in the room which best represents the interrelationship between my artistic work and the other work I’m involved in.

Both forms of work are mostly unpaid, and it becomes a challenge to maintain a sense of self and a sense of value in our capitalist society which measures value by status and money.

The planner in the film has blank pages but rapid movement, because in both dimensions of my work sphere; the domestic and the artistic; I’m extremely busy. However, I find the reality of my work is non existent in many people’s perceptions; it’s blank; because they do not recognise what I do as being work. In our culture activities which take place in the domestic sphere are often side-lined and artistic creation is at risk as being thought as being a “free time” pursuit. I frequently get asked “What do you do all day?”

In reality, “work” reflects more to purpose and perception, than a context.

Like the table, the water in the film is a crossover subject too; from the water in the kettle (tea for a break time), the repetition and rhythm of a dripping tap (associated with labour and maybe monotony) and the water of a swimming pool (swimming being a “free time” activity for me). The pool is also a place for reflection: interestingly contemplative space for an artist swiftly re-orientates itself into a place of purpose for a reflective art practitioner.”

Made in the Pre-Covid 19 era…!!! Since making it, a HUGE number of people previously working in buildings which are not their domestic setting, currently work from home. It’s so odd looking back at this video I made now!

I hope that one of the outcomes of this challenging time is that the work of those so-called “economically inactive” (mainly women, and anyone involved in various unpaid caring activities) has a stronger sense of presence in our awareness of work activities, and even in the way we think about what makes us valuable human beings. The equation of money and status with worth is being shaken at the roots right now.

I’m so glad we have drawn our attention to appreciating the caring profession. And let’s remember, that “professions” are not professions due to the amount of money someone earns, but are an expression of a person’s values, investment, and focus. So many activities, not formally recognised as “professions”, though low paid, unpaid, and regardless of relative status in society, are ALL work, all valuable, and all vital to a healthy society.

Sculpture at Morley College

I find working with three dimensions very interesting and it makes a nice change from working on paintings, drawings, and prints. I was pleased to have my sculpture “Articulation” accepted for exhibition at this year’s MADE at Menier Gallery. It’s an exhibition for students at Morley College. HOWEVER… then this email arrived… Not a surprise in the current Coronavirus Pandemic!

Dear all,

Due to the escalation of the Coronavirus pandemic in the UK, we regret to inform you that we have made the very difficult decision to postpone this year’s Made exhibition at Menier Gallery. We are very sorry about this, but there is nothing else we can do. In this unusual situation it is also hard to say when Made will happen, but we hope that we will be able to host it in a brand new Morley Gallery next year.

We appreciate the effort you have made to create all this lovely artwork and hope the effects of the Coronavirus are minimal for you and your loved ones.

More information about this will follow shortly.

Not a surprise.

Indeed, though signed up for a six week term, in the end I only attended two sessions of the course in the second half of the Spring Term. Morley College is based in Southwark, which was at that time the London Borough with the second highest number of confirmed cases of Covid 19. As I watched the figures rise – from 8 in Southwark on the 10th March and then 28 confirmed cases of Covid 19 on the 16th March – I grew uncomfortable with travelling to Southwark on the train. The journey there wasn’t too bad, but on the way back on the jam packed train… It was obviously a bad idea to continue. The last time I went up to London was 10th March, and then on the way home in the rush hour I wore a specially made scarf… made by myself! It was lightweight woven fabric with a couple of layers of polypropylene folded inside it. Perfect! Polypropylene is actually the main component in the manufacture of surgical face masks. I really didn’t want to buy myself a surgical face mask… Feeling they should be kept for the settings for which they were designed. However, I felt very strongly that people travelling in crowded trains should be wearing face coverings of some shape or form. At that time, no one, well, hardly anyone, was wearing face masks or face coverings. But I felt so much better for doing so.

I wrote and researched quite a lot on the subject. I used to be a Dental Nurse many years back and wore surgical face masks all day every working day. We never used them as any more than a hygiene measure. It was never a defensive, “protect me from this or that” kind of thing to do. They were not respirator masks, of course. They were there to stop big droplets from the dental procedures and also to stop our breathing from the kind of merging of air which happens when you work very close to patients. So this past experience informed my decision to cover my face so early on in certain settings. I also did a bit of research, and while just one example, reading the research below got me thinking that it was better to err on the side of caution. Though the Covid 19 is not Influenza A, it is certainly highly infectious and if Influenza A has a way of spreading in very tiny particles (smaller than droplet infection, rather airborne).

Interestingly Scientists have disagreed for years on how exactly Influenza is spread; some saying that its airborne, and others that its only the larger droplets, and nothing smaller. I know which camp I am in. Yes, we don’t know about Covid 19. Specifically. However, it seems unwise in the midst of a global pandemic to insist on waiting for the numerous experiments with the specific virus in question to be carried out when such a simple, practical and easy to implement action by members of the public can at least be one small factor in reducing transmission of Covid 19. Its never been a “protect me from the virus” mentality for me. It’s been; this is a virus which has a huge range of symptoms, (or people asymptomatic) and basically its really hard to say for the most part if you have it, or have had it. There’s lots of corona-virus’ and probably many co infections happening right now. So the best mindset is to behave as if you have it, and you carry it with you. Though you don’t know, it matters not. What matters is that when you are indoors in busy crowded places (not that we have any at this point in time!) where your exhaled breath will be mixing with the exhaled breath of others, it seem logical to do what you can to avoid sharing.

I am so relieved we have the social distancing in place now. Shopping in supermarkets, especially all the panic buying which went on earlier on, was surely one of the rampant and successful ways of spreading Covid 19 around, and I think we may look back and ask ourselves why we didn’t stop that earlier. I used to wear a loop scarf or snood for shopping way back in Mid March. Still do now. No reason not to. I think there is a strand of thought which goes along the line of MASKS = FEAR. This is a shame. However, I can see that for some people the idea of a virus being airborne could be something which caused paranoia. Shame really, as it’s not a new idea but maybe in the light of the current situation that might seem unsurprising. I think the research which I share below was immensely helpful to me, with the proviso of course that it was carried out in an artificial setting and also with a more familiar virus. However, influenza’s of any kind are very serious and the cause of huge numbers of deaths each year. The novel coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was previously referred to by its provisional name 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is proving to be illusive and tricky to pin down. It’s very nature is unpredictable. We will need to get used to the uncertainty and as we accept it and its consequences, doing something simple like covering our faces may make a small contribution to helping reduce and slow the spread. Any small contribution is worth while, and gives us more time. It is going to take a LONG time. I’m sure of that.

So with the following research, I think the key points are it’s prolonged face to face which is the mainstay of the awareness regarding spread. The percentage is high in the experiment. It logically would be less in a real life situation. And this is only one factor in spread. One factor among many. Dose and duration all make big differences. Something like this is helpful for increasing awareness and doesn’t need to result in paranoia, or in people ignoring the other methods of transmission. Just the same as wearing a face covering doesn’t mean suddenly people are going to touch their faces more, not bother with other methods of reducing transmission, and become complacent!

https://www.virology.ws/2018/02/08/a-breath-of-fresh-influenza-virus/?fbclid=IwAR0CtmkP_OP93U7oOZfs03dRIrLkZJJX2JDeW40e8T548ycPONrJpW2rBoI

Ah, I have meandered.

Where was I? Morley College.

Yes, the exhibition cancelled, and then later this email:

“We are pleased to announce that we will present your work in a first-ever online MADE exhibition in May 2020!

As you already know, Morley has taken the difficult decision to cancel MADE at Menier Gallery (previously scheduled for 29 April – 7 May 2020). Although the physical show has been postponed, we are excited to inform you that we will present the exhibition digitally and we are currently working on a new Instagram account for MADE 2020 (@MadeAtMorley) that will feature all the selected works of art for each of the four disciplines involved – please, start following!

MADE 2020 ONLINE: The Instagram exhibition will feature your objects as well as interviews and films of production behind the scene. This is a great opportunity to show the hard work that you have been undertaking in this period and to offer viewers the chance to see your superb work online and get to know your art better. All the selected works will also be shown in the new Gallery website and will remain accessible in the future. We aim to launch the online exhibition on May 11th, 2020.

-> Please, note: Morley Gallery is expected to reopen in March 2021 and we hope to host the exhibition there as well in March/April 2021.

INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT The new Instagram account @MadeAtMorley is now live. Please start following now!

HASHTAGS
#MorleyGallery
#Morley_College
#Made2020

Well, that will be one way of seeing the work. I am looking forward to it.

Here is the selected work “Articulation”. Also the accompanying text. Like a lot of my work, it was started some time ago, and then I have reflected and reviewed, refined and developed it. I value the process and value contemplation. A contemplative practice is the backbone to any art works I produce. I don’t stick to a time schedule, unless I am producing something which is a commission for someone else. It’s finished now, and I am very happy with it.

articulation sculpture, jenny meehan, wire and paper sculpture, psychotherapy, art therapy, subconscious, healing art, trauma recovery, british artist, ©jenny meehan

Above; Various images taken during the process of making “Articulation”.

Below; Information/text submitted to the Morley Online exhibition.

“Articulation” What is it?

So here is a bit more about this work, which I have been working on for several years. I believe its a great mistake to rush a piece of artwork. They have their own timing, and something like this will be taken out, worked on for a while, and then put away again. The process continues. The work is not just the artefact; it is the thinking and feeling it represents. It needs to evolve. Like all my work, it comes into being in a piecemeal fashion, bit by bit. I like the way that the form of this work reflects this. It’s a very accurate expression of my working process, which I like very much for that very reason. For this reason, I would call this a signature piece. It includes a poem which can be read if you look closely around the rim.

Untitled

Words are power;
this is why
I stumble and trip.
I try to find them.

For mine are hiding;
cowardly.
They left me helpless;
stuck themselves all over a tree –
becoming harder -soft tissue
into paper

Then,
as you see…

A wooden bark
which
soundless sits
in its own
quiet
dignity.

To find your voice as a person sounds easy, but it’s one of the hardest things in life. Maybe for me, with a lot of childhood trauma and adversity, those formative experiences make “articulation” more a a challenge? I’m not sure, but I do know that in my second half of life, I have needed to do a lot of personal work through ongoing psychotherapy. This has proved transformative, and vital in locating a stronger sense of myself, and in finding my voice. As an artist and creative, this “Articulation” expresses the heart of why I work with materials in the way that I do. It’s part of a regeneration and growth; An expansion and exploration.

On the materials and making dimension of “Articulation”

Process
I took some digital photographs of trees/branches in my garden. Photocopies of these were used as the final layer of papier-mâché. They were the beginning, and end of this process led, instinctive piece.

The galvanised steel wire framework took off nicely. I wanted a sense of control/structure but also spontaneity. Playful rings in the centre invite a childlike exploration. I included suggestions of fluidity/water flow in the outer form using parallel areas of curved wire. I wanted activity and life suggested in what was gradually emerging as a tree stump type form.

The paper parts skim around the form, almost as if being blown by wind; a metaphor for the Holy Spirit of God. My acknowledgement of a life giving, creative, divine influence; inspiration; is key.

The negative spaces and shapes are there to unify the sculpture as a whole; they let you into its structure and in doing that, present a sense of unity to the superficial brokenness. The newspaper and photocopied paper “bark” was sprayed brown paint, then varnished. In one section there is an inner and outer wire wall which have separated from each other. The inner energy of the trunk is pushing the old bark away.

My experience of psychotherapy is integral to my creative output.

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

I have created the design artwork and ideas. Redubble fufil your order but I get an artist’s margin which helps support my fine art. I do need your support in order to sustain my fine art working. I am fully committed to my role as an fine artist in life, but it’s never been a profit making mission! I am glad to possess design skills which I can put to use in this way. This is a useful task and project in the current coronavirus pandemic and I hope so very much that all the work and effort I have put into creating these designs is helpful to many. I believe offering people a plenty of choice in how they navigate this new normal, especially at this time of mass masking as a public health measure, can make communication a little bit easier and potentially really improve deaf awareness and disability awareness long term. There are also many hidden disabilities and special needs which deserve attention, respect and understanding. Mass Masking has the potential to divide people, as we can see already. But it can also create understanding and awareness, kindness and a greater appreciation of other people. It’s up to us to make the right decisions and get optimal results which benefit people.

“Keim Galaxies” Available to Buy on Redbubble.com

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

II am currently putting many of the “Keim Galaxies” art/design up on my Redbubble.com account. Redbubble.com is a print-on-demand website which artists can post their work on and have it printed on merchandise of many kinds if any customer requests it. This is a great way to make ones art and design accessible and the artist gets a royalty payment for each time their design is used. I don’t have the time to print my own work very much anymore, so making prints available on Redbubble.com works well. If someone doesn’t particularly want a signed print, then they can just get a print through the website. Conversely, I do produce a very small number of signed prints myself, but the number is very small. I don’t limit them in number. I do number them, for my own records. But it seems silly to artificially limit them. They are limited simply by virtue that the numbers I produce are very small.

jenny meehan london surrey contemporary artist blog

jenny meehan art for sale british contemporary artist

Jenny Meehan: How to buy my art/design online safely, easily, and affordably.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

This is my main portfolio on redbubble.com. My focus isn’t on selling online, but accessible and affordable art prints enable people to own and view selected examples of my work and its a great way to share it.

Follow the links to take a peek, or simply put in your browser the words redbubble jennyjimjams (skip the main site advert) , and pages from my profile will come up. Scroll down any page until you get to “View Jenny Meehan’s shop” if you want to look at a range of products they offer with my designs on. Or there’s another option to “shop” called “explore”. (More on navigating the redbubble.com site below)

There are thousands of artists work up on redbubble.com! All with their own “shop” and profile. If you want to buy prints and merchandise from redbubble.com with my work on, ensure you have found the right shopfront. It should be showing on a page with my profile image on.

There is only a limited selection of work I’ve posted on redbubble.com. It’s a “print on demand” site. If you purchase something with my art/design on it, I get a royalty payment while redbubble.com manufacture the product or print.

Any art prints are unsigned. It’s an excellent way for me to make my work more affordable and available. And easy to buy.

Take a look! If there is something you have seen on Instagram, LinkedIn, or my Jenny Meehan Contemporary Artist’s Journal and you would like it available on redbubble, just contact me directly and I can put it up on redbubble.com.

Navigating the redbubble.com website to locate art/design by Jenny Meehan

Navigating the site can be a bit confusing, and it’s easy to end up looking at work by other artists, rather than just mine, because of the way the website is organised. If you specifically want to purchase products and prints with my art/design on, the following might help you.

Link to the SHOP section is:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop

The SHOP section shows my work on different products. When you start clicking around it also offers an option “See Similar Designs” but this will show designs by ALL artists on redbubble.com which are similar. I mention because this can be confusing. If you just want to see additional designs by me on the shop section, then you need to make sure you scroll down to my profile picture and name and look there. It’s further down.

Link to the EXPLORE section is

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore

The EXPLORE section is the best section to navigate to if you want to take a quick look at the whole range of designs I have in my redbubble.com portfolio. It just shows the designs as a flat image. When you locate one you like you can then select to see it on various products. It’s a better way of navigating to my work, as less confusing.

Something you want me to put up on redbubble.com, but I haven’t put it up yet?

No problem! Contact me via the contact page here on my blog/artist’s journal and I will put it up within three days, normally.

I am able to locate the artwork from my extensive digital archive and put it up on redbubble.com within 3 days. Once it’s up there, you purchase the print or product online and your order is fulfilled by redbubble.com

Other options for buying are you contact me and I can get a print made elsewhere, but generally this often tends to work out more expensive and does take longer.

However. If you require a signed art print, or redbubble.com do not offer the substrate or format you need, this is a better option for you.

Geometric Abstraction/Geometric Patterns/Repeating Patterns and Surface Design Focus

I have an additional redbubble.com profile with only geometric patterned designs:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/JennyMeehan/explore

Which “Keim Galaxies” have I put up on Redbubble.com so far?

Here are some images of the “Keim Galaxies” up at the present time. I will be adding to them, of course.

jenny meehan british contemporary artist ©jenny meehan “keim galaxies” geometric and lyrical abstract digital prints, jennyjimjams redbubble.com prints, jenny meehan art design on redbubble.com,

Images are low resolution on the internet. On Redbubble.com it’s possible to have them printed on prints and furnishing, and many different types of merchandise at a very large scale. This is perfect for interior designers, for both domestic and home settings and is quick, safe, and affordable.

Note: The edges where colours meet are diffused, giving a gentle, organic feel when viewed at very close range. This softening is deliberate, and not a printing fault. The combination of flat solid colours and softened edges on printed substrate is part of my aesthetic and characteristic of all of my flat colour designs.

Jenny Meehan Contemporary Fine Artist Original Fine Art Paintings for Sale

If you prefer to buy affordable, original paintings, directly from me, I have plenty available and do please contact me letting me know what you are looking for.

The majority of my original fine art paintings can be described as following the style of abstract expressionism and lyrical abstraction. I paint in either oils or acrylics mostly.

A rough price guide for my original fine paintings is between £200 and £600 if purchased directly from me. When you buy a painting or any art work from a gallery setting, there is normally a commission of between 30% and 50% added to the price due to gallery costs and the purchase being made through a business. I am not formally represented by any one gallery at the current time.

I regularly exhibits my art working (paintings, prints, and poetry) in the United Kingdom. This is normally as a result of being selected in Open Submission Artist’s Call Outs. My work has been exhibited in many notable galleries, including Pallant House Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Stanley Picker Gallery, and Kingston Museum Gallery. My work is featured/included in many publications, University and Hospital projects/settings.

Kingston Artists’ Open Studios 2020 Cancelled!

Yes, another cancelled exhibition. Here are some images from last year to look at instead!

kingston artists open studios , jenny meehan artist designer art gallery, art work, art exhibition, surrey artists, surrey artists studios, jenny meehan british contemporary artist ©jenny meehanevents in surrey, artists open studios london, outer london artists studios, lyrical abstractions, geometric abstraction, fine paintings, prints,

kingston artists open studios 2019 jenny meehan artist designer artists open studios events in surrey, artists open studios london, outer london artists studios, lyrical abstractions, geometric abstraction, fine paintings, prints,

kingston artists open studios , jenny meehan artist designer art gallery, art work, art exhibition, surrey artists, surrey artists studios, jenny meehan british contemporary artist ©jenny meehan

“With great reluctance we have decided to cancel #OpenStudios 2020 because of the #coronavirus situation. We will be back as soon as we can. In the meantime do look at our website & links to our artists’ websites. Do support them by ordering online!”

http://kingstonartistsopenstudios.co.uk

The Garden Gate Oil Painting by Jenny Meehan

the garden gate oil painting by Jenny jenny meehan british contemporary artist©jenny meehan

This is an early painting of mine when I was first experimenting with representational painting. I’ve picked this to share because of the “Staying at Home” message we are all hearing. The painting is my neighbours front garden. The tree isn’t there anymore, as it was sadly cut down. The pathway leading to the shut gate evokes some kind of memory for me from my childhood. You shut gates in gardens to stop children from wandering out, in to possible danger. The paintings has shade, on the right hand side, from the walls of the house, and also sunlight which catches the bushes on the left. Young flowering plants grow in the shade, enjoying the protection of the wall from the early morning frosts no doubt. The strong branches of the tree outside the garden are quite a contrast.

I am finding great enjoyment from my garden at this challenging time, and it is certainly therapeutic! A good way of relaxing. Nature is very comforting at times. I said to myself recently, as I looked at my small tomato plant growing “As long as the plants keep growing, we are OK!”.

jenny meehan Kalo Kaleidoscope art design geometric abstract surface pattern on redbubble to buy affordable british contemporary artist©jenny meehan

©jenny meehan jenny meehan jamartlondon Kalo Kaleidoscope art design geometric abstract surface pattern on redbubble to buy affordable british contemporary artist

jenny meehan jamartlondon Kalo Kaleidoscope art design geometric abstract surface pattern on redbubble to buy affordable british contemporary artist©jenny meehan

The Art of Caring

Well, ANOTHER cancelled exhibition. Which has become an online exhibition for the time being.

Here is some information about it, copied and pasted from the “Art of Caring” website. http://www.artofcaring.org.uk/

“Introduction to “The Art of Caring” Online Exhibition

“We are delighted to participate in the Art of Caring 2020 exhibition, the year which the World Health Organisation designated as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and the bicentennial year of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Any year would have been timely to celebrate the attributes of our highly skilled, multi faceted professions, which make up the largest proportion of the NHS workforce. But with the world facing a global pandemic, it is apposite that in this, of all years, we pay tribute to the contribution and sacrifice made by our colleagues worldwide and offer them our sincere thanks and gratitude.

The theme for this year’s exhibition, ‘Ingredients for a healthy life’ takes on new meaning and poignancy in such unprecedented times. Many images in our exhibition reflect this, appreciating the gifts of comfort and kindness which bind us together. We are indebted to our Artist In Residence, Alban Low in organising our first ever ‘Virtual’ exhibition and hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Keep safe (and wash your hands),

Prof Karen Norman (On behalf of the School of Nursing, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London).

Karen Norman is Non Executive Director, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Visiting Professor, Business School, University of Hertfordshire

This exhibition is supported by the School of Nursing, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London. Thank you to the arts team at St George’s Hospital and our long term artist partners The Arts Project (Peter Herbert/Marius Els) at St Pancras Hospital.”

“The Art of Caring” Online Exhibition will be running over May 2020. Each day there will be the work of four artists on the Art of Caring blog/website, and on some social media platforms too. Here is the rundown!

Art of Caring Online exhibition 2020

Aaron J Little 20/05/2020

Aasiri Wickremage 15/05/2020

Adam Drouet 07/05/2020

Alan Carlyon Smith 31/05/2020

Alban Low 25/05/2020

Alexandre Santacruz 21/05/2020

Ally Zlatar 20/05/2020

Amanda Van Der Zant 07/05/2020

Amna Walayat 28/05/2020

Ana Miljkovac 26/05/2020

Ann Froggatt 28/05/2020

Ann Kopka 10/05/2020

Anna Bulgakova 18/05/2020

Anna O’Doherty 05/05/2020

Aran Illingworth 20/05/2020

Ayşegül Altunok 19/05/2020

B a r b a r a Schneider 23/05/2020

Beatrice Bromley 09/05/2020

Beth Barlow 11/05/2020

Bryan Benge 08/05/2020

Carole Loeffler 28/05/2020

Catherine Jack 15/05/2020

Catriona Smith 25/05/2020

Charlotte W Stubbs 08/05/2020

Chiara Cavarzan 29/05/2020

Chloe Ann Munday 12/05/2020

Chloe Laurence and Tom Francome 24/05/2020

Chris Brown 30/05/2020

Chris Holley 27/05/2020

CJ Crosland 18/05/2020

Clare Owen 27/05/2020

Collette Costello 14/05/2020

Corinne Perry 06/05/2020

Cotidad 28/05/2020

Dacc e Dukjan 12/05/2020

Daniel Zlota 05/05/2020

Daniele Bongiovanni 02/05/2020

Danny Mooney 19/05/2020

David Robinson 26/05/2020

Dean Reddick 21/05/2020

Durre Sameen 23/05/2020

Emily Naine 27/05/2020

Gabriella Ranito 04/05/2020

George Mavrikos 18/05/2020

Gerrard Lindley 01/05/2020

GIDEON CONN 30/05/2020

Giovanna Iorio 14/05/2020

Grant Radford & Zoe Maslen. Accent 16/05/2020

Hamish Young 30/05/2020

Hannah Lehane 01/05/2020

Helen Grundy 02/05/2020

Helen Roeten 13/05/2020

Helen Tate 17/05/2020

Henry Kenyon 29/05/2020

Jade Atkinson 02/05/2020

Jane Walker 26/05/2020

Janet Stafford 09/05/2020

Jean Mooney 19/05/2020

Jeff Hunter 25/05/2020

Jennifer Weston 10/05/2020

Jenny Meehan 06/05/2020

Jina Wallwork 01/05/2020

Jon Halls 05/05/2020

Julie Bennett 04/05/2020

Jura Brian Joyce 17/05/2020

Karen Winship 12/05/2020

Kath Lovett 07/05/2020

Katie Frost 22/05/2020

Katy Sayers 21/05/2020

Klaus Pinter 07/05/2020

Laura Atkinson 02/05/2020

Laura Parker 04/05/2020

Laura Scull 14/05/2020

Laurence Morgan 10/05/2020

Lieske Weenink 03/05/2020

Lily Mooney 31/05/2020

Lotta Barlach 27/05/2020

Louisa Pankhurst Johnson 15/05/2020

Lucy Clayton 20/05/2020

Lucy Oates 24/05/2020

Lydia Fernandez-Arias 08/05/2020

Mahlia Amatina 13/05/2020

Maria Lezon 08/05/2020

Marina Medef 23/05/2020

Marius Els 12/05/2020

Mark Carr 03/05/2020

Martin Hill 26/05/2020

Martina Scott 04/05/2020

Mary Conway 24/05/2020

Melanie Honebone 06/05/2020

Mia-Jane Harris 29/05/2020

Misty Athena Stokes 11/05/2020

Monique Martin 03/05/2020

Nadia Uppal 31/05/2020

Nicholas Sweet 14/05/2020

Nicky Chubb 18/05/2020

Nicole Lyster 05/05/2020

Paul March 11/05/2020

Paula De Sousa 15/05/2020

Poppy Field 24/05/2020

Rachael Murray – Created by family carers in Suffolk 17/05/2020

Rakhee Shah 05/05/2020

Raul Moya Mula 16/05/2020

Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds 22/05/2020

Richard Young 06/05/2020

Ryoko Minamitani 19/05/2020

Sam M Harley 25/05/2020

Sara Jayne Harris 11/05/2020

Sarah Foque 16/05/2020

SEAN WORRALL 03/05/2020

Shannon Amey 22/05/2020

Simon Richardson 29/05/2020

Sonia Ben Achoura 23/05/2020

Stella Tripp 09/05/2020

Sue Thompson 16/05/2020

Susan Plover 30/05/2020

Teri Anderson 22/05/2020

Tracy Ferriss 31/05/2020

Trevor Coopersmith 10/05/2020

Vaiva Kovieraitė 21/05/2020

William Stok 17/05/2020

Yvonne Vignes 13/05/2020

Zelga Miller 09/05/2020

Zoe Douglas-Cain 13/05/2020

As May has started already on publishing this blog post, I have already started to look at some of the artworks and statements online, and they are amazing! Can’t wait to see more!

My contribution:

Here is my submission. Title “Eating Greens” 🤣

Sometimes self care is difficult! It feels unpleasant when we are not used to it!

The thinking behind this submission is that for those in the caring professions, or anyone fulfilling a caring role, it’s so easy to neglect ourselves. Neglecting to eat healthily is one obvious way to neglect yourself, but there are many others. The model in the photo is my daughter, who loves cabbage now… It just took some getting used to. Often self care feels hard… It doesn’t feel right, but it gives us nourishment which we need.

Jenny (I need to remind myself of this all the time!)

eating greens for art of caring ©jenny meehan print for http://collectconnect.blogspot.com/ and art of caring online exhibition

And instagram is
jamartlondon_jennymeehan

Kingston Museum Exhibition

One of my prints has been shortlisted for this art exhibition at Kingston Museum. Another one which will have to wait, at this Covid 19 Time we inhibit. No online exhibition happening for this one. It will be titled: Climate KAOS: Kingston Artists Open Studios present works about climate change. Was due to happen in June..

My artwork was one of the shortlisted, and we won’t know what exactly gets hung in the museum gallery until the massive task of hanging the work takes place, whenever that is. It might be that depending on how the hanging goes, my work might not be in the final exhibition, but the intention at the present time is that it is.

Here is info on my work and the thinking, as submitted in the Artists’ Exhibition Call Out

“Artwork title: “Poor art” parody; A Damien Hirst “style” Mandala created from waste and without assistants.”
Medium: digital print on 3 mm panel
Year created: 2019
Overall dimensions: (including frame where applicable) 400 mm x 400 mm
Price: ( including 30% commission) £150

Title: “Poor art” parody; A Damien Hirst “style” Mandala created from waste and without assistants.”

My response to the exhibition Mandalas at White Cube Mason’s Yard.

This mandala started with waste in the form of printed wrapping paper.

I was brought up with the phrase “Waste not want not”, which is said to advise someone not to waste anything, because they might need it in the future. This seems a timely message humankind in the present era especially, and regardless of perceived value, in art or anything else, we should all be using the resources we have wisely, however much or little they cost.

Jenny Meehan is an artist based in Chessington Surrey working with painting, digital imagery and writing..”

Other thoughts on this.

The artwork started as something I posted on instagram with the following text:

“Poor art” parody; A Damien Hirst “style” Mandala created from waste and without assistants.” ©jenny meehan print for Kingston Museum KAOS exhibition

About Jenny Meehan

Jenny Meehan – UK based painter-poet artist-author

Specialism: Geometric and Lyrical Abstraction

Artist Journal: https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/

Image licensing via DACS Designer and Artists Copyright Society (DACS proposed fees are negotiable contact me in first instance)

https://www.youtube.com/user/jennyjimjams

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

Tweets by jennymeehanart

Copyright Information – Jenny Meehan

©jenny meehan

Licencing an image is quick and easy for both parties and is organised through the Design and Artist Copyright Society. It can be done online through their request form:

https://dacs.secure.force.com/enquiry/

For an overview on image licensing on the DACS website, look here.

https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

Posted in british 21st century modern contemporary female uk artist, contemporary christian faith/meditation/reflection/journalling/British visual artist fine painter, geometric abstraction expressionism fine art prints for sale to buy jenny meehan jamartlondon artist blog, keim galaxies series of images, licensable abstract expressionist textural colourful fine art painting images, licensable images, redbubble and other publish on demand prints and products, Surrey culture/arts-Kingston Upon Thames, South West London, United Kingdom, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Tags: articulation sculpture jenny meehan, coronavirus, covid 19, garden gate painting jenny meehan, kalos, keim galaxies, kingston museum KAOS exhibition, lyrical abstraction, morley college sculpture, poor art parody a Damien Hirst style mandala, redbubble jennyjimjams, the art of caring online exhibition, timetable video, virology, virus, wearing face coverings, words are power

Keim Galaxies Launch; Dynamic Imaginative Artworks created by Jenny Meehan with images of Keim Mineral Paints in the Mixing! – Dwell Time Issue 2 –

March 2, 2020

Keim Galaxies Launch

Not quite completed, as one or two more to do, but mostly done!

I move out of the office into the Studio Tent in the Spring… Well, I need to reconstruct the tent because it has suffered with the wind and rain, but should be sorted by April. In the Summer I tend to paint, and then it’s back to working inside in the Autumn, with more time spent at the computer.

But I am ready to start publishing the Keim Galaxies. I am also playing about with animations, which I very much enjoy. So that adds another dimension, especially with the music. It would be nice to be more creative with the music, but I am just using tracks from copyright free sources right now. I quite fancy getting out my djembe and experimenting with that and the images, but as always, my mind flies off, and I need to keep focused!

I’ve been a fan of Keim Mineral Paints for many years, and over time, my palette has been leaning heavily towards the traditional and classic colours of mineral and earth pigments. So what a delight to work with them in a different way with digital imagery!

The Keim Galaxies range from the subtle and spontaneous, to the bold and highly ordered. I introduced some obviously geometric elements, but while putting them into play, I also aimed to keep a sense of fluidity where possible. I’ve played with contrasts in line, clarity, shape, pattern, scale, and colour, thereby forming an interesting range of imaginative “Galaxies” I hope you’ll enjoy.

These designs are evidence of beauty expressed through an adventurous, creative, process. They are perfect for interiors which embrace the natural mineral and earth colours. Choosing ecologically friendly paints for exterior and interior decoration will help us towards a sustainable future. These designs will perfectly complement any eco-friendly interior setting where traditional paint colours are utilised. Many of these designs will also work to add a contemporary twist in a historic/heritage setting, due to the harmony of the colour palette.

The Keim Galaxies were made possible through the kind donation of un-manipulated digital images of paint buckets from Keim UK, which were used as the starting material for art/designs. PLEASE NOTE; THIS WAS A PROJECT I CARRIED OUT INDEPENDENTLY, IT WAS NOT A COMMISSIONED WORK AND HAS NO FORMAL LINKS WITH KEIM MINERAL PAINTS.

ALL COPYRIGHTS ARE OWNED BY JENNY MEEHAN AND IMAGES ARE LICENSABLE VIA DACS (DESIGNER AND ARTISTS COPYRIGHT SOCIETY – MORE INFORMATION BELOW.

I continue working with the Sol-Silicate paints, loving the colours and everything else about them. It feels good to use eco-friendly, environmentally-friendly paints with traditional colours in a new and innovative way, bringing quite a contemporary twist to the colours which are often to be found in both the interiors and exteriors of heritage buildings. As with all my paintings, I do work on them for several years before they get shown, so for now the Keim Galaxies at least provide something to show for the time being!

Because there are rather a lot, I will post up at the end of this post rather than in the middle of it. I have been working on these for many months, so its interesting to see them as a collection. The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over 50 Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Wonder Video

Follow the link to see my video “Wonder”.

https://vimeo.com/390986014

Dwell Time Issue 2

I’m delighted to have been selected for the second “Dwell Time” publication. This is a great project, and the realisation of a fantastic vision and mission. I’m delighted to be part of it!

“Award winning, not-for-profit arts publication reflecting on mental wellbeing. Produced and curated by Alice Bradshaw, Vanessa Haley & Lenny Szrama in collaboration with Penistone Line Partnership. Founded in 2018. Currently funded by Penistone Line Partnership, ACORP, Northern & CrossCountry.”

My contribution:

https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/jenny-meehan-sticky-note-to-my-self/

Which was published online in July 2019, and has been selected for the printed publication.

Here was my own reflection on the work I produced:

Thankfully with the right help and support, over the years, the overarching movement is in the direction of health: MOVING and BEING. I hope this is helpful to you in some way.”

https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/

Chaiya Art Awards 2020

Drat. While one of my submitted paintings was long listed, and selected in the 106 when it came to finally curating the exhibition it fell out of the loop!

Got this:

“We want to thank you for submitting your creativity to the Chaiya Art Awards on the theme “GOD is … ” We received over 700 entries in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, glass, textiles, photography and video. The quality of submissions was very high and we have chosen 106 works to be longlisted.

Congratulations on successfully making it onto the longlist with Light Touch”

But that is a far as it went!

So easy to happen, but disappointing because I would have loved to have my work in this exhibition. Being a person of faith and m spirituality being such a prime focus, having work in this kind of exhibition would have been great. Blurb from the Chaiya Art Awards website:

“How do 50 artists respond to the phrase God is … ?
From over 700 entries, the 50 artists featured, of all faiths and none, in this curated and juried exhibition, invite us to muse with them their experiences through canvas and paper, photographs and video, cloth and stitch; 3D metalwork and pottery; bronze and stone sculpture alongside an interactive robot.
The panel of five judges, all well respected experts in their arts arena, will choose and announce the winner of the £10,000 along with other prizes on Press night. Visitors will also have their say by voting for the artwork on display during the exhibition for the public prize of £1,000.
This exhibition is an invitation to look beyond, to discern what cannot be seen and grasp what cannot be described.
10% of all artwork sold goes to our Charity partner UNSEEN – working to end human trafficking and modern slavery.
EVENT: CHAIYA ART AWARDS 2020 – Winners Exhibition, Affordable Art Fair
DATES: 10 – 19 April 2020
OPEN: 11am – 6pm every day (till 4pm on last day)
VENUE: Gallery@OXO, Bargehouse Street, London, SE1 9PH
Entrance is free. Artwork for sale, prices from £50 – £12,500″

Well, it’s going to be a great exhibition, so I will certainly enjoy looking at what did make the final selection!

It’s Time for Keim!

So, as promised, here is the collection so far. I am going to have to move onto some paintings over the Summer, but I get the feeling that like Keim Paints, this experimenting with the colours in this way may well be almost as addictive as painting with the paints!

Just skip over the blurb about licensing… I need to include it!

keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

CLARITY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

SPACE INVADER keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

The Keim Galaxies were made possible through the kind donation of un-manipulated digital images from Keim UK. PLEASE NOTE; THIS WAS A PROJECT I CARRIED OUT INDEPENDENTLY, IT WAS NOT A COMMISSIONED WORK AND HAS NO FORMAL LINKS WITH KEIM MINERAL PAINTS. ALL COPYRIGHTS ARE OWNED BY JENNY MEEHAN AND IMAGES ARE LICENSABLE VIA DACS (DESIGNER AND ARTISTS COPYRIGHT SOCIETY – MORE INFORMATION BELOW.

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me with the image you wish to use. (I can then check it’s size and sometimes even adapt it to your requirements.) I will later supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

Note: As said previously; DACS do not supply the digital image itself. After initially contacting me , you will need to contact DACS with the name of the image, and they will liaise with me, administrating the process quickly and efficiently. They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it. You can even make your initial enquiry via their online enquiry form; https://dacs.secure.force.com/enquiry/

If you have a tight budget to work to, remember the proposed fee is sometimes negotiable. I appreciate that image licensing costs can be prohibitive for certain projects, and welcome enquiries for consideration. You can find out more here: https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

GOLDEN MOMENT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

GOLD RUSH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

MELLOW MEDLEY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

Note: As said previously; DACS do not supply the digital image itself. After initially contacting me , you will need to contact DACS with the name of the image, and they will liase with me, administrating the process quickly and efficiently.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

CALM CONSTELLATION keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

TIGHT SQUEEZE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

EXTRAVAGANZA keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

PARTY PIECE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

TIMBRE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

ODD INSCRIPTIONS keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

WOBBLY MOMENT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

UNDERGROWTH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

FULL CIRCLE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

FIRST IMPRESSION keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

FREE FORM keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

ALL THAT GLITTERS keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

GREEN GATHERING keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

GREEN GLASSES keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

ALIEN INVASION keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

EXTRAORDINARY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

KIND OF COLOSSAL keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

SILICA BLING keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

THE NEW BLUE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

DAEDAL keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

STARK REALITIES keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

BEAUTY BOLT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

FREE FALL keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

MISSING PIECE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

CONTAINER keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

TIME WARP keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

POSITIVE ACTION keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

FAST FORWARD keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

NEW HORIZON keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

TRIBAL GATHERING keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

ROYAL RUBY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

INDIAN SUMMER keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

STAR QUALITY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

PURE AND SIMPLE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

SPLISH SPLASH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

BREATHING SPACE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

MAGNIFICENT MESH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

GROOVY GALAXY keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

QUEEN CONCH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

INSIDE OUT ONE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

INSIDE OUT TWO keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

GENESIS keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

PERFECT MIX keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

CONCATENATION keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

DIHEDRAL DELIGHT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

MARBLED MOMENT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

UP BEAT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

OUTSTANDING keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

PERFECT MATCH keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

BIFID BUCKET keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

STORM IN A PAINT BUCKET keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

POSITIVE VIBE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

SMOOTH TALKING keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

BALLET BLANC keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

COCO LOCO keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

STRING QUARTET keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

CLASSIC ASANA keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

LEAD LIGHTS keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

SCORDATURA keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

HOT PALAVER keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

DREAM CATCHER keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

REFLECTIVE STATE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

GALACTIC EMPIRE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

WIBBLE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

HAPPY COUPLE keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

MYSTERY SONATA keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

AIR WAVES keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

PSYCHEDELIA keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

Please note; the fee is simply proposed by DACS. I am sometimes, depending on the circumstances, open to negotiation with respect to the fee amount.

In the first instance, contact me me with the image you wish to use. I will supply the file to you myself, as soon as it is confirmed that the licensing agreement has been put in place.

Note: As said previously; DACS do not supply the digital image itself. After initially contacting me , you will need to contact DACS with the name of the image, and they will contact me, administrating the process quickly and efficiently.

They can explain how it all works, and help you through the process, answering any questions you have if you are not familiar with it.

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

PICTURE PERFECT keim galaxies jenny meehan abstract pattern contemporary design inspired by Keim mineral paints UK paint colour mixing images for modern interiors and exterior wall decoration © jenny meehan

The image resolution/quality on this blog is deliberately low, but doesn’t reflect the quality of the original digital images.

Redbubble.com and the “Keim Galaxies”

I am gradually posting the Galaxies up onto my portfolio on the print on demand site Redbubble.com. It’s going to take some time. Take a look here to see how far I have got. If you want any particular “Keim Galaxy” up on Redbubble.com sooner rather than later, just contact me via the contact form here on my blog and I can put it up within three days.

Kingston Artists’ Open Studios

I am flagging this annual event up, because time really does fly! We now have the dates for this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios! The 2020 Kingston Artist’s Open Studios with be on June 6/7th and 13/14th! Kingston Upon Thames artists open their homes and studios. Open to all. Come and meet us!

More info on the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios website here; http://www.kingstonartistsopenstudios.co.uk/open-studios/

The catalogue is not out yet, I don’t think, but will be very soon. You can see previous Kingston Artists’ Open Studios Catalogues on the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios website and also sign up to receive more detailed information for this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios when it comes out. You could sign up to my mailing list by using the contact form on this blog, and I will keep you posted. I only send out a newsletter once or twice a year.

Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) – How to Contact Me

Well, that’s it for March! I need to repair my studio tent now, so I can do some painting!

About Jenny Meehan

Jenny Meehan – UK based painter-poet artist-author

Specialism: Geometric and Lyrical Abstraction

Artist Journal: https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/

Image licensing via DACS Designer and Artists Copyright Society (DACS proposed fees are negotiable contact me in first instance)

https://www.youtube.com/user/jennyjimjams

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

Tweets by jennymeehanart

Copyright Information – Jenny Meehan

Licencing an image is quick and easy for both parties and is organised through the Design and Artist Copyright Society. It can be done online through their request form:

https://dacs.secure.force.com/enquiry/

For an overview on image licensing on the DACS website, look here.

https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works

Sample Price Guide for book cover image: £350, as below:

For this kind of use:

Distribution: Worldwide all languages

Print run: 5,000 printed copies plus 500 e-books

Proposed licensing fee: £270 +vat

I request three complimentary copies of the book for myself, but I make no fee for the supply of the image.

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Kingston Artists’ Open Studios 2020 – Traumatic Brain Injury Relatives Recovery – Time Table Video – Coventry Cathedral “Wonder” – Kalos Geometric Abstracts – 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau; “Lasting Stones” Painting by Jenny Meehan

January 25, 2020

Kingston Artists’ Open Studios 2020 (note: cancelled this year! Back next year! )

jenny meehan painting lyrical abstract floral promised land/break out painting

Needing some glimpses of colour at the moment, because it is a somewhat grey January day today! Above a painting which sold a few years back.

spring will come digital image jenny meehan ©jenny meehan

And this, because Spring Will Come! ©jenny meehan

jenny meehan surrey artist london contemporary female artist

It is very casual, but I find posting screenshots very convenient! Here’s a photo of me at last year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios. Which reminds me to flag up we now have the dates for this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios! The 2020 Kingston Artist’s Open Studios with be on June 6/7th and 13/14th! Kingston Upon Thames artists open their homes and studios. Open to all. Come and meet us!

More info on the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios website here; http://www.kingstonartistsopenstudios.co.uk/open-studios/

The catalogue is not out yet… too early, but you can see previous Kingston Artists’ Open Studios Catalogues on the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios website and also sign up to receive more detailed information for this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios when it comes out.

Time Table

At the end of last year I was experimenting with making short video clips, just for a change. My very short piece “Time Table” was selected for screening at an event in Manchester. Info below:

screening shown on 3rd December 2019 at STRETCH – Reel Time event. Held at Mirabel Studios 14 -20 Mirabel Street Manchester M31PJ

My statement:

Both forms of work are mostly unpaid, and it becomes a challenge to maintain a sense of self and a sense of value in our capitalist society which measures value by status and money.

In reality, “work” reflects more to purpose and perception, than a context.

Jenny Meehan is a London based artist working with painting, writing, digital media and contemplative practices.
jamartlondon.com

I don’t have much to add to the text I submitted. An interesting development was that I was able to finance just one month of studio space last November, and this made an interesting contrast to my usual working routine. I found that having the more clearly defined boundaries between my different roles does make things much easier in some ways, so I think in terms of the tangible nature of time…how it is seen, and recognised, or not seen and invisible, having a physical space matters a great deal for an artist, not only in terms of practical matters but also in terms of being a helpful contribution to a stronger sense of self/self-definition. I have found it makes a huge difference on how other people recognise my time as an artist…hence the activities which I carry out within that time/space… I know they matter, but its much easier for other people, particularly those who are not creatives, to recognise that my work is indeed not a sideline/hobby!

In other ways having a physical dedicated space has been restrictive, which I did not expect. There is a kind of pressure… because the time has boundaries, I found that there is this need to fill it in a way which I am normally free of. So not having a dedicated physical space, rather surprisingly, can be a liberty, which I didn’t expect at all. However, as you can see from my work Time Table, there is a big interplay between the blank, empty space in the diary, and the full physical space (I need to leave a lot of piles of domestic clutter around me, because of the need to redirect my energy and time into creating art works! Definitely a balancing act!)

The human being in Time Table is actually my daughter, though she is playing me! So credit to Charis Meehan for playing the part so well!

Time Table isn’t on You Tube at the moment. I think I will wait till I have sorted out my new website and put it on there.

New Website for Jenny Meehan

I am going to create a new website which will be a little more broad in the mediums it shows. The existing one has it’s main focus on paintings and some digital prints, but I find that my practice is far more eclectic now as time has gone on. Now I am on instagram too, and my writing focus rests a little more securely on this Artist’s Journal, I think I can make the website a little more compact.

Coventry Cathedral

There was a very interesting “Open Call” for the commissioning of new vestments and a banner for Coventry Cathedral before Christmas, but the practicalities of it didn’t seem realistic to me in terms of financial recompense. I think if I was both a designer and maker of banners and vestments then it wouldn’t be such an issue, but for someone like me, who is a designer more than a maker (well, of vestments and banners, at least!) the making would need to be contracted out to someone else, with massive financial implications…at least, if it was to be done to a high professional standard, for sure. The actual banner design has significant value, and the copyright matter wasn’t touched on at all. I did contact the relevant person and put my view/perspective forward, but haven’t heard anything back. The value of the actual design, and subsequent images of it, is very important, as is the project management, (time wise) and I had an excellent idea to explore with it, but I simply cannot afford to spend hours on something which is basically speculative. It’s certainly speculative if I wouldn’t consider carrying out the project due to insufficient funds if I was fortunate enough to be selected, so I have just left it.

It is often quite a problem with design competitions and copyright. If the copyright of the banner design image had to be assigned, and that was part of the arrangement, then it needs to be clearly stated. I personally don’t assign copyrights ever, and so to need to do so would also be a reason not to enter such a competition. I always retain copyright for my art and design and for it to be used there would need to be a suitable licence in place. The value of such of licence agreement, needs to be factored in when establishing the value of the artist’s work, and this affects what can be considered a realistic payment in financial terms.

I am normally pretty flexible, and open to negotiation of licensing fees. As a member of DACS, there are the industry standard fees which are of course recommended, but it is the artist who has the final say, and for projects with limited budgets, charitable, religious organisations, particular uses which I have a particular interest and passion about, then flexibility is appropriate. Something like a banner for Coventry Cathedral would be exactly the kind of thing I would be flexible about, but I do value my work and though I try not to, I cannot help but feel irritated by no mention of copyright and of a task of such massive scale with insufficient funds to cover the costs. I could be wrong…It’s been known…but we will see. Someone will do it, possibly very happily. It doesn’t fit in with the way I value my work to ignore copyright matters and while it would have been a nice project to submit something to, what is the point, when I wouldn’t deliver for the money offered?

Coventry Cathedral

Some comfort to me, bearing in mind the above, was that I was able to offer an animation for showing at Coventry Cathedral on my birthday! This did make me most happy, and it was fortunate that I had been experimenting with animation a little at the end of last year. I had something emergent conceptually and the Open Call at Coventry Cathedral for one of their events on New Year’s Eve was very timely, as it gave me the additional impetus to continue working on something which I had started. Some things are just providential, I have decided. Timing is often everything. The Open Call at Coventry Cathedral was perfect timing and I worked obsessively on producing the work which was a duo of a poem and also the animation. Again, I will put this up on my new website when I sort that out.

The animation was rather more fast than I ideally wanted but I am going to make a slower version. It needed to be short for the screening, so I went with it moving very fast, rather than somewhere in between. Both the poem in written form and as word and image animation are titled: “Wonder”. The poem is below.

Wonder

Both soft and clear

Beautiful and broken

Light is transformation

Colouring the soul

Endless pattern

Radiating

Ever differing

Yet completely

Whole

by Jenny Meehan 2019

This is a silent video of word and image. 2.26 duration, in this version. In square aspect ratio. No punctuation in this version.

Wonder was selected to be shown as part of the Open Projections: Digital Art Exhibition NYE@Coventry Cathedral on 31st December 2019.

Text from the Artist’s Call Out:

“Open Projections is a series of digital and moving image projection exhibitions hosted by Coventry Cathedral. The series is hosted by guest curators and arts organisations. Art on show features digital and photographic work created by local, national and international artists. For the latest edition of Open Projections, on New Year’s Eve, We will be projecting onto the ceiling of Coventry Cathedral, using the design of the roof as a screen for each work. We will be inviting guests to lay on the floor and stare upwards (Don’t worry, bean bags and underfloor heating provided).

The brief is for this edition of Open Projections is ‘Spectacle’A visually striking performance or display, or An event or scene regarded in terms of its visual impact.

We are interested in showing work which explores the idea of spectacle and a visually stimulating display inside the cathedral. We have intentionally made the brief for this exhibition open to interpretation as we want to embrace the Cathedral’s space for New Year’s Eve. “

Coventry Cathedral became a major tourist attraction as soon as it was opened in 1962. It is a very interesting building, and the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral are also beautiful.

The Blitz of 1940 saw Coventry city centre devastated by enemy bombing and, today, only the shell of the old cathedral still stands.

A new cathedral was built on the site of the ruins and the two stand side by side providing a stark but beautiful reminder of the city’s tragic history and inspiring resilience. The new cathedral would be a sign of faith and hope for the future, and the decision led to the cathedral’s Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation, which has provided spiritual and practical support in areas of conflict throughout the world.

It’s a very inspiring place and I was delighted to have some of my work there, even though briefly. It’s just the kind of place I like my work to be enjoyed in!

Inserted:

Due to the cancellation of this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios and other Exhibitions I had work in, I have spent more time with design and embodying the values in visual communications which matter to me. So see here;

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over 50 Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Kalos – Jenny Meehan

Before Christmas I created a few more in my “Kalo” series. The idea for creating these came initially from a dream/vision. I think I have written previously about this, so I won’t go into it again. Having an instagram account is very good for me as it encourages me to post online regularly and it makes me share my work in an quick and accessible form, which is great!

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

jenny meehan jamartlondon Kalo Kaleidoscope art design geometric abstract surface pattern on redbubble to buy affordable british contemporary artist

Poetry and Traumatic Brain Injury

I like using my own poetry with my work because it suggests what the work is about but does not dictate precisely to the person responding to it: their interpretation is valued by implication because the meaning is not made explicit. Poetry is an abstracted form of communication and often leaves many gaps or blanks in our understanding; these unfilled areas are just as valuable and are as much a part of the expression as what is written. It is like this in life I think: sometimes there are no words to say; a silence can speak volumes; it can allow understanding, and communicate a depth of feeling not possible with words.

I write poetry from time to time, alongside other types of writing. I wrote a lot of poetry between the years of 2008 and 2010, when I was having real struggles coming to terms with the changes in a close relative which they experienced as a result of a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Because it was such a difficult time, and emotionally and mentally I was quite literally “all over the place” writing poetry was extremely helpful as it enabled me to attempt (attempt!) to put into words very difficult and conflicting emotions. At least with poems, the words which couldn’t be written (and couldn’t even have any presence), still existed and were there, invisible and not logically or rationally understood, but emotively just there…in their absence. That’s how it felt. The unsaid didn’t have to be taboo.

That sound’s a bit odd, I think but what I mean is, there was so much for me for which there were no words, and which there could never be any words sufficient to express. That’s how it felt. The horror and the complete senselessness, the total insanity, that anyone could do what they did to my relative, was simply beyond comprehension. And human minds like things neatly packaged in understanding. We like to have things contained in knowledge and have things which we can hold onto. It’s not an easy experience to describe.

I experienced much complex traumatic stress myself, partly as a result of my family member’s brain injury. This was, I think, accentuated because I had many early life adverse childhood experiences, and the experience of having the one relationship which previously brought some sense of sanity into my early years of life, torn apart and altered by such an injury, was beyond my own capacity to cope with.

Well, I did carry on with life, thankfully, and there were many helpful practical reasons which made life worth living, even if it seemed overwhelming and I had a lot of fear and pain to contend with. A big part of the positive move forward was to cease attempting to cope with the pain by self-medicating with alcohol and also to start a process of healing from the trauma through psychotherapy. It really doesn’t help when some senseless violence is the cause of your relatives TBI. It added another layer of trauma to the situation, because having experienced in earlier life myself various forms of violence, it simply feels like one thing too much. I think the total conviction that something is too much to bear pretty much sums thing up quite succinctly.

I’m immensely grateful for the help and support I have received, and continue to receive, from various people around me. I’m still working through so much, and that’s the way life goes… Things sometimes come up which plunge you into a difficult place, but there’s no doubt that having faith in a compassionate Creator God, having relationships and connections with others, having creativity and the means to express so much both in words and images; all these things work for good and prove healing and restorative in many ways. I have found yoga, drumming, and contemplative spirituality, mindfulness, prayer and enjoyment of the natural world all amazingly useful.

Having my life orientated, ultimately, towards Christ, (for my faith tradition is Christian) and trying to walk in the ways Christ taught, is for me the way forward. The recovery road is endless, because learning and changing are endless and we are never “all sorted”. It would be unwise not to embrace our brokenness. However, even when at times things are hard, that’s OK, for seeking truth and understanding, making healthy connections and aiming to live in love in the best way we can, is liberating (certainly is so far!) and that’s all good.

Sometimes I think I have had a silly amount of trauma in my life, but it’s not a competition, this stress and suffering matter. We just cannot judge what people go through and don’t go through. Often it’s mostly unseen. I’m glad I can touch on some of mine a bit from time to time. I do this because I am able to articulate it and it’s helpful to me to do so sometimes. I have been surprised at what I have learnt through my experiences of being a relative of a person with a traumatic brain injury. I would never have appreciated previously how much and to what extent one person’s injury can also affect another person. There is a corporate damage which happens when one person is hurt, and often the relatives and others around a person with a traumatic brain injury need help and support in a way which is easy to under appreciate. Survivor’s guilt is complicated.

I found the charity Headway exceptionally helpful to me. Getting good, helpful, informed information and getting educated about certain things can help one retain ones own sanity at difficult times, because it can be very isolating and it’s totally common to feel completely alone.

https://www.headway.org.uk/

I found the following a very heartening read:

https://www.baat.org/About-BAAT/Blog/124/Life-After-Brain-Injury-The-Role-of-Art-in-Rehabilitation

I think for myself, (though I haven’t previously put the two together), that my increased involvement in visual arts and writing which started to emerge initially from around 2005, may well have begun as a helpful coping mechanism. I know it was the case a bit later on; It was immensely beneficial for me… just the physicality of it, the contact with materials, and the way it helped me to be in the present moment. My earlier life aspirations of being an artist were something I had left behind years back; I wasn’t in a position to put my energies into the visual arts direction in the first half of my life. That’s not a bad thing. I think it was good to have the maturity I had later on. It’s important to have a sense of direction as a fine artist. It can’t come from anywhere but yourself. It means facing yourself, and that’s not an easy thing to do.

Below a bit of blossom. Hopefully soon I will see some in Chessington and enjoy the colour and scent. Time spent looking at nature is very well spent.

jenny meehan jamartlondon.com photography

Knee Replacement Surgery

As you can see from a couple of the pages of this Artist’s Journal/Blog which are titled “The Very Patient Knee Replacement Story by Jenny Meehan” I enjoy writing at length, and my knee replacement surgery in 2017 at South West London Orthopaedic Centre, or SWLEOC, for short was a very significant life event for me. I had become increasingly disabled, and the experience both before, during and after the knee replacement surgery inspired me to write my story, or at least that chapter of it, for other people to read. I hoped that it might prove informative and helpful.

My knee was in a very bad state and the recovery was hard work, but well worth it. I now enjoy walking and being able to live my life. I’m able to carry on my artistic and creative activities much more easily than I had done for the years running up to the knee replacement surgery. The enforced rest was very good for me. It was hard work recovering in many respects, but it also forced me to reflect on many things, and writing about the experience was something I found helpful in the recovery process. It became a focus for my mind, which is very important, because after a major surgery your whole body and mind and emotions are affected, and it’s vital to have focus….Both on your recovery but also on things apart from it. It can be a disorientating experience to be flung out of your usual routine into a completely new one.

Well, the knee is still going strong. I did fall on it rather hard on the way home from yoga one day but it’s still working so no worries. I am just loving being fully mobile and being able to walk around without any restriction at all. If I ever get to the point of needing a knee replacement revision surgery, I guess things may well be quite different in a few years time. I found this which was of interest:

“17 Jan 2019

Robot revolution for knee replacement patients
Surgeons performing knee replacements at the South West London Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC), which is based at Epsom Hospital, have a new cutting edge assistant in the operating theatre – a robotics-assisted surgical system called NAVIO that helps improve accuracy during surgery.

The NAVIO surgical system (which is a hand held tool attached to a computer) uses infrared signals to produce a detailed computer model of the patient’s knee before and during the procedure. The software also helps the surgical team to work out how the knee will move after surgery, and gives real time feedback on alignment and positioning of the implants. The system can also show the surgeon a 3D image of how much bone needs to be removed before the implant is put in and improves the overall accuracy of the position.

Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles, who was given the chance to trial the new tool on a prosthetic femur bone, said: “The NAVIO surgical system is a fantastic piece of equipment and will have huge benefits for our patients. It will assist our surgeons with further improving the accuracy of placement of knee replacements, with the aim of improving their recovery. In fact, with NAVIO, we expect that patients who do not have any complications or other health conditions should be well enough to go home the day after their surgery.

“Nationally, 20% of patients are dissatisfied following their knee replacement surgery, which can often be attributed to the alignment of the replacement joint. Our SWLEOC surgeons and the theatre teams are some of the best in the world, but our new NAVIO will make this process even better, and every new knee joint will be aligned to each individual.”

Mr Feroz Dinah, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at SWLEOC, who has been leading the introduction of the NAVIO robot to the teams, said: “This is an exciting development for us. The surgeon still does the operation, but the robotic-assisted technology is a reliable way of getting the cuts to the bone exactly to where the surgeon intends. Using infra-red tracking technology, the computer creates a virtual 3-D model of the patient’s knee on the computer screen in front of the surgeon. Although the operation takes a bit longer initially as we get used to the system, early experience has shown that some patients are able to go home the following day due to reduced pain and swelling. This is a team effort, with everyone from pre-op assessment to theatre and recovery staff, as well as physiotherapy playing essential parts in this improved patient experience.”

Quoted from: https://www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/news-and-events/robot-revolution-for-knee-replacement-patients-2436

WOW! That’s amazing!

If you are in need of a knee replacement it is really important to be well prepared for how it can impact your life. It is a surgery which requires a lot of work from the patient afterwards to really maximise the potential positive effects. Do take a look at my knee replacement recovery pages if you are interested in gaining a patient’s perspective and experience of knee replacement surgery in the UK. It is going to be different for everyone, but I found it helpful reading around a bit beforehand, as it helped me to appreciate the importance of the rehabilitation process afterwards, and also to not be completely shocked by the challenges which normally follow a TKR.

I’m just grateful I can walk around… I will never take that for granted again! I had many intentions of continuing to work on my writing from the knee replacement time of my life, hoping to narrow things down and bit, cutting it down to size and maybe making some kind of e-book or similar, but I don’t have the time to do that at the moment. However, it’s on the internet so it’s nice to know it might prove useful to people even if it is in rather a massive textual glob!

January 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

“In commemoration of this major anniversary, London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, working with the Landmark Arts Centre, will be showcasing artwork, poetry and prose submitted by schools, community groups and individuals from across the borough. This exhibition will be a moving commemoration of the Holocaust and, by featuring work from many different areas of our community, a fitting reflection on the national theme for the 2020 Holocaust Memorial Day: Stand Together.”

holocaust memorial jenny meehan

Image above is “Lasting Stones” an acrylic painting by Jenny Meehan ©jenny meehan

The painting is part of my painting-poem piece; the poem being titled “Tiny Bones”

So glad to be part of this exhibition. Such terrible genocides which have happened, and still happen, have been something I have touched on in my artwork before. The senseless violence and hatred which happens in our world demands awareness and I think it’s very important never to forget how extreme things can get, if allowed and encouraged.

https://www.thejc.com/comment/comment/the-importance-of-remembering-the-holocaust-1.59585

Quoted from above:

“Why is it so important that we remember the Holocaust and how can we make sure future generations never forget?

The Holocaust is a contemporary issue. It cannot, and should not, be an event consigned to history.

Paradoxically, the reasons for this lie in its ancient roots. The Holocaust is not bound by a few years in the mid-20th century; instead, it stretches back, past the parameters of the modern era, into the medieval age and beyond to the inception of antisemitism.

Would the Holocaust have been possible without the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? Without Dreyfus? Without the Spanish Inquisition? Antisemitism, discrimination against Jews of all walks of life, was not a new concept in 1933, but was widespread and prevalent in many countries. It is therefore incorrect to let the Holocaust be consigned to the period of the Third Reich; the Nazi regime manipulated and amplified the latent prejudices of its citizens. It did not create them.

This makes the Holocaust a contemporary issue because it demonstrates the atmosphere in which genocide can take place. How many people pertain to prejudices which are unfounded and illogical, but which are unconsciously adhered to? These beliefs survive both because they are socially acceptable and because they remain unchallenged.

There remains in our society a degree of antisemitism, but furthermore levels of xenophobia, Islamophobia, a fear of the travelling community, of black and Asian communities. Indeed a recent survey has shown these prejudices to be on the rise.

It is therefore important to remember the Holocaust because it is an example of how these trends could evolve into something far more threatening.”

It is vital to remember the Holocaust. Vital.

Here is a good site on genocide today: https://www.genocidewatch.com/

My own mother, a Catholic, was born in Villingen in Germany, but immigrated with her mother to Switzerland just before the Second World War. Unfortunately she is long dead now, so I cannot ask her questions about it, and she was only a few years old, but I understand that Catholics were also in the ranks of the persecuted, which I had not realised until recently. I will never know why they left Villingen, it may not have been related to any persecution, but somehow, for me, with so little factual knowledge about my own history, due to very little being said when it could be said, the possibility remains.

Well, that’s it for this part of my Artist’s Journal. It has been hard to get around to writing it… Rather late in the month for it to come out. However I find the process of writing it helpful.

Finally found a title for this painting!

Jenny Meehan – General Information

My original artwork has two main strands: Lyrical Abstraction, painterly, fluid, with a lot of focus on light, how it bounces off the surface, textures and finishes, and Geometric Abstraction (created through digital imaging software) in which I focus on flat areas of smooth, solid, and translucent colour; ideally intended to be printed on even, matt or semi-mat surfaces.

While I’m experimenting with the overlap between the two, and make it my practice to regularly try out new mediums, in order to keep my artwork fresh and steadily evolving, identifying the strands in this way is helpful for clarity. I use writing and poetry in my art working and now prefer to use sol-silica paint over acrylics or oils, though I am still known to dabble in many different types of paint, due to their particular material and visual qualities!

If you would like to give money to help support my creative practice, I can accept it quickly and easily through the Paypal.me process. Simply put the following in your browser:
paypal.me/jennymeehan
and follow the prompts. Please consider supporting my work in this way if it strikes a chord with you and you are able to do so. I do need support in order to continue my artworking.

Signing up as a follower on my WordPress blog ( https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com) also helps, as does sharing the posts when you receive them. Anything you can do to help me is much appreciated!

All my images are licensable and this is arranged through the Designer and Artists’ Copyright Socitety (DACS). If you wish to use my artwork, please contact me in the first instance.

Alongside my mainly lyrical abstract paintings, there is another important strand in my work which includes more of a narrative. Well, some kind of narrative. Through my writing, and my participation in ongoing psychotherapy, I draw on my subconscious. It’s this process of self reflection, examination, and other contemplative practices which are rooted in my own faith tradition as a Christian, alongside a good dose of yoga and West African drumming, which have created an exciting way ahead for my work with visual art. I think it’s the relationship between my writing and visual work, particularly through poetry, which helps determine the direction in my art practice.

Posted in british contemporary semi/abstract/non-objective experimental/exploratory process led painting/fine art, christianity christ centred spirituality art creativity contemporary contemplative, fine artist painting lyrical direct romantic expressive abstraction south west london/ surrey, reflections, Surrey culture/arts-Kingston Upon Thames, South West London, United Kingdom, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tags: 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, art and traumatic brain injury, Coventry Cathedral, holocaust memorial, Kalo, kingston artists open studios 2020, knee replacement surgery, landmark arts centre, Landmark Arts Centre teddington, nile kalo by jenny meehan, Open Call at Coventry Cathedral, Open Projections, Poetry and Traumatic Brain Injury, Robot revolution for knee replacement patients, timetable video by jenny meehan, traumatic stress and relatives of those with TBI, wonder animation by jenny meehan

One Month of Studio Space – Inclusive Re-design of the International Symbol of Access (ISA) by Jenny Meehan in Shape Open Exhibition – “Butterfly Net” Poem and Art inspired by Osteoarthritis at Humanizing Medicine, part of the “Being Human” festival at Barts Pathology Museum

November 4, 2019

Temporary Studio Space!

jenny meehan

I am delighted to now be sitting in a studio space! It is miles easier than working at home, and though I can only afford to rent it for one month, I know I will make the most of it. Having a dedicated space for art working is very helpful and does induce some new opportunities. Even being able to leave things out is productive.

The studio tent is too cold right now in November. Though it’s excellent in the Summer to work outside, it’s not possible at this time of year. The kitchen table at home is often another place I work on, but that too has it’s limitations.

If you would like to assist me in funding a studio space, then please do make an offering through my paypal me page. Studio spaces cost around 200 to 350 per month and that’s out of my league at the moment.

Pop the following in your browser:

paypal.me/jennymeehan and just follow the instructions putting in the amount you would like to gift to me.

Another way to help me financially is to buy my work. I have plenty, ranging from original paintings to open edition or numbered and signed prints. Just contact me via the contact form on my website if you are looking for something particular. I also have an instagram account which is an excellent way of seeing a range of my art working in quick and easy way.

My instagram is jamartlondon_jennymeehan

So what will I be doing in this studio space…? I am bouncing several ideas around. I have several ideas, but the main point is to have the freedom to experiment. However, a big plus which I will be enjoying, is that I have a big wall and so I will be able to work on a bigger scale than I have previously done, and have the experience of painting on a large scale while standing up, as normally I have my paintings on the ground.

brick wall, studio space, visual art jenny meehan jamartlondon

Here is a place to hit my head against a brick wall. Very useful!
https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

Interestingly it was a wall which I discovered in my wanderings through the rear access roads of Chessington many years ago which served as an incentive to start to paint and explore paint and substrates in more depth.

Someone had painted it as above which I loved.

Which Paints?

I have brought along with me a few acrylic paints and some Sol- Silicate paint. I prefer my Keim paint to any other, and the pigments used I much prefer, but I have brought along some acrylic paints as well.

I tend to favour the use of inorganic pigments in my painting. Its a route I started to travel on after completing a mural using silicate mineral paint and I continue to work with silica sol paints in particular. These incorporate earth and mineral pigments which are produced in simple chemical processes. They are also permanent with great lightfastness. So no worries about fading over time.

Today organic synthesis chemistry offers a virtually endless number of artificial colouring substances. They are all secondary products of crude oil with the corresponding high loads on the environment when being produced and disposed of. I prefer the traditional mineral and earth pigments. I find when I do use others, I have to tone them down and knock them back by huge amounts. The one area where I do enjoy the cruder, wilder, synthetic colours is when used in dye sublimation printing, and if suitable, I enjoying translating some of my digital imagery onto fabric.

But I have brought along a few, though I suspect I may be muting them considerably!

Backwards is the new Forwards

Part of my practice as a visual artist to reflect, recall and remember.

When it get’s to this time of year I do tend to look backwards.

One of the highlights for me was having my re-design of the International Access Symbol accepted and shown as part of the Shape Arts Open Exhibition this year.

Mainly because it was exactly the right place for something like this to be shown. And because this piece of art /design is the fruit of my own personal experience with using disabled facilities because of personal need.

ISA international access jenny meehan © Jenny Meehan. All Rights Reserved 2019, new access symbol designed,inclusivity,disabled equality,new symbol design graphic,jenny meehan,jamartlondon,

Above you can see some of the fruit of my labour! The labours of my life!

My re-design of the International Symbol of Access retains the buoyant feeling so important in “No Problem/Moving On” ) I designed this symbol in February 2019 with clear concepts in mind. My own experience of temporary disability before and after knee replacement surgery certainly inspired me to work on an alternative symbol to the International Symbol of Access. I got sick of the sight of the wheelchair symbol!

But I want to know from many people who face disability of different kinds what it expresses for you personally. Having knee replacement surgery and the reasons for that have changed my and awareness, but I have also been reminded that for a lot of people they have mobility restricted long term. Is a redesign of the International Symbol of Access (ISA) needed? What do you think?

My design came from personal experience. I felt uncomfortable using disabled toilets marked with the wheelchair symbol but I needed to use them. It made me think about the essential elements I felt should be conveyed in the symbol. You see the circle, previously a wheel, transformed into an opening. You see the right angle, previously a seat transformed into the outstretched arms. You are accommodated. It’s a person centred design with a clear message of inclusiveness which is key. Having my own less visible, temporary, experience of difficulties and restrictions of mobility I hope my expression in this design conveys something positive and affirming.

There is also an expression of a person coming through, forwards and upwards and outwards. I can identify with that… I have certainly been on a journey with my own mobility. (One which slightly continues, as still with osteoarthritis and also my un-operated knee does affect me.) But I don’t need to use disabled toilets any more for the time being at least.

When I look at the wheelchair symbol it makes me think how many people it misses out. It reminds me of how differently I was treated when I was using a stick and/or a crutch (not always favourable, by the way!) and also reminds me that though the tools and objects we can use to help us are important, they can get in the way when it comes to perceptions other people have of us as PEOPLE, first and foremost.

To celebrate the inclusion of my re-design of the International Symbol of Access in the Shape Open Exhibition 2019 I am making merchandise available on Redbubble.com so that if this symbol resonates with you, you can access it on printed products!

You can get those here:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/works/41002650-jenny-meehans-redesign-of-the-international-symbol-of-access-shape-open-art-2019?c=389187-jenny-meehan-surface-pattern-and-clothing-designs

I would really value your thoughts and experiences though so contact me via jamartlondon.com or in the comments of this blog.

One of my favourite products using my design on Redbubble.com is the clock. The reason for this being that with time things do change. Also time can change anyone’s situation. I didn’t expect to experience mobility difficulties and restrictions, but in time I did. Also things may change for me in the future. We all take what we have for granted. It’s a good practice to think beyond what we know. And things do change.

I think the wheelchair symbol should change, but no doubt any change is fraught with restrictions, and so many countries would be involved and so many approvals made, that it may never happen. However, this doesn’t mean it’s not important to think, talk about, and envision. It’s a tool for conversation ,thoughts and sharing experiences at the very least I hope.

My design is also published in the catalogue from Shape Arts Open Exhibition 2019 which you can buy from Shape Arts.

There was a fantastic selection of art on show.

Here is general info on ShapeArts:

https://www.shapearts.org.uk/pages/news/category/shape-open

Black and White – Humanizing Medicine at Barts Pathology Museum

I’m really into black and white at the moment!

I have a long standing interest in healthcare…Started years ago when I worked as a Dental Nurse and has never gone away! I was very pleased to find out about the “Humanizing Medicine” call out for artists.

Being Human: A Festival of the Humanities was held at Bart’s Pathology Museum on Tuesday 19th November 2019 5.30 – 7.30pm It was a truly fascinating place! I loved it. Photography of specimens is not allowed, but seeing them and hearing about them was an amazing experience.

barts pathology museum art exhibition jamartlondon jenny meehan humanizing medicine art and poetry exhibition as part of the Being Human festival

barts pathology museum art exhibition jamartlondon jenny meehan

arthritis, humanising healthcare art, jenny meehan, jamartlondon,barts pathology museum exhibition, butterfly art,

It was a celebration of the human side of medicine…Holding an art exhibition is such a great way to do this!

There are many amazing specimens to see. Here is a taster:

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/pathologymuseum/specimens/

Butterfly Net Image and Poem – For the Humanising Medicine Exhibition

I experience pain due to osteoarthritis and some days it’s quite bad!

As soon as I heard about this I sat down and created something based on my own experience.

I wanted to express the sense of fragility that comes from not knowing how things will be day to day with health, and Butterfly Net seemed the right way to do it as in the process of making it by tearing the strips I experienced the very pain that makes a”bad day” a bad day.

However, in creating it, I have chosen to utilise the experience. As with much of my art work, I use my own writing. The two pieces should be displayed together. On one day I may be able to tear paper, on another, I may not. However, I can type instead. Having them together conveys a little aspect of what life can be like with any kind of health condition I think. One day you can do something, another day you cannot.

I chose a very simplistic image of a butterfly which I made by cutting paper and resting it unstuck on another piece of paper. This emphasizes fragility…There’s nothing holding the pieces together.

I was also thinking very much that though I associate arthritis with something which affects people in their latter years, because of my own experience with osteoarthritis, yet I realize there are many people affected by different types of bone pain who are much younger/children.

For example, there is Juvenile arthritis…a disease in which there is inflammation of the synovium in children of 16 years or younger. It’s an autoimmune disease.

Choosing a childlike rendition of a butterfly reminds us that arthritis isn’t something just experienced by older people.

It’s also a condition which isn’t obvious… There is something of it being a condition which is less visible and in the dark, or shadows. And I was also thinking of the shadows on Xray images too!

arthritis, humanising healthcare art, jenny meehan, jamartlondon,barts pathology museum exhibition, butterfly art,

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/pathologymuseum/about/

Text from website:

“Barts Pathology Museum is based in St Bartholomews Hospital at West Smithfield and houses over 5,000 medical specimens on display over 3 mezzanine levels of the Victorian museum.

Prior to the appointment of the current Technical Curator, Barts Pathology Museum was in a state of disarray. As medical teaching changed, the need for the study of anatomy and pathology pots declined.

Without funding the specimens and the infrastructure of the building suffered and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that a donation was secured to renovate the collection. Grant funding was provided by The Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital Trust, a registered charity that promotes and advances medical and dental education and research at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Events were originally scheduled for after the completion of this project but the museum has opened slightly earlier than expected due to its physical arrangement. The conservation and cataloguing still continue.”

and

“Barts Pathology Museum, a part of Queen Mary University of London , is a medical-humanities hub and venue for public engagement and education. Our events showcase research and the arts from our own institution as well as other universities, independent researchers and other museums. Our activities are in accordance with Human Tissue Authority recommendations on Public Display of medical collections and the University Museums Group guidance, and are sensitive to the dignity of the collection.

Ant Parade by Jenny Meehan

I have this work back now after it was exhibited as part of the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Cold-blooded and Spineless project Subterraneous exhibition. Subterraneous is part of an AONB Partnership project and Cold-blooded and Spineless was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It was great to be part of that and it looked excellent.

I have used the base design which was exhibited and developed it a little so that it is available via Redbubble.com.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/works/41294343-ant-parade-abstract-repeating-design-by-jenny-meehan?card_size=4×6&p=greeting-card&rbs=845edcfa-99a0-4814-a3aa-f1d3a0f01f18&ref=available_products

Above is the link to the Greetings Card, but its available on 32 products and in different colour ways. Buying merchandise with my designs on gives me a small royalty percentage which I use towards the continuation of my creative project, so do please purchase something if you like it. It’s a great way to get something unique and support an artist at the same time. Items are not sold in large amounts… There are so many talented artists on Redbubble.com, which is great. So if you want to collect some examples of my work in an easy and affordable way, then buying examples from Redbubble might be a way of doing so. Items are not signed by me, of course, but does this matter? In the end, if you like my work and you want it, I want you to have it, in the easiest and most affordable way. Yes, I sell my original paintings for much more, but I don’t think any false idea of exclusivity has any place in what I do.

Down Memory Lane

Down Port Hill,

Kentisbury.

It was just “the lane”.

We rode our bikes, me and my brother,

down the lane held into the beautiful hedgerow.

The china in Preston Cottage was (I discovered later) designed by Alfred Meakin.

“Hedgerow”

I made sure I had a milk jug as an adult, of the same design

because from it’s lip

spoke fond memory

Of time.

Time

when you and me could play,

putting our hands into waters

which leapt over

all obstacles

merrily.

preston cottage port hill kentisbury exmoor north devon

Bottom left image is of Preston Cottage, which I think is still now called “Next Week” in 2012. Other images show Preston Cottage as it was in the 1970’s when our family used to go there for our holidays. The view on the top right means so much to me…We used to run through that gate to the bottom of the field where it was possible to make a bit of a dam and play in the pool of water which formed. Preston cottage was extended to the side… When we stayed there it was just two bedrooms. The water supply was the spring and the water came out brown a lot of the time!

We would get our eggs from Mr and Mrs Tucker, the farmers at Preston Farm. They had lots of chickens and cats, along with cattle, and they were always very friendly and kind. Preston Farm now is listed as run by D.g Pile. So I take it it is still a working farm of some kind.
EX31 4NH Kentisbury

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design? If so, then take a look at my website jamartlondon.com, for a start.

DACS administrate my licensing agreements and organise the use of my art work images quickly and conveniently. They are very helpful and can guide you through the process if you are unfamiliar with it. I normally follow their guidelines with respect to the fees for licensing, as these are set in line with the industry standard.

DACS do offer a good reduction in fees for registered charities. Occasionally it may be possible for slightly reduced rates to be negotiated in other circumstances.

Woman in a Chemise by Picasso

Change for jamartlondon.com

It’s very annoying but I have just found out that because Adobe Flash is being discontinued and I built my jamartlondon website with a flash based editor, the only way I will be able to continue to edit it in the future will be with the ever increasingly out of date adobe flash add on I have on one of my computers. And when that computer dies, which it may well do soon, as its very old, then that will be that, for editing my website.

I can start to build one from scratch, but for the time being I need to put my energy into other things, so I will be tidying it up while I can, and then keeping it online, but static. You will still be able to use the contact form but I think I will be using this blog and other ways of showing my recent projects, work and activities online rather than my website. I will get around to making a new one in the next couple of years but it will need to become a useful port of call but not a means of knowing what I am doing beyond 2019. Never mind.

jenny meehan of jamartlondon

It’s very, very, far down the bottom of this page, but you can see some recent examples of my Instagram shares right at the end of this page. To see the various widgets on this blog (when you are viewing it using your mobile) without needing to scroll down into the depths of eternity, just select the page under the MENU which starts Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) Artist – Author – Painter -Poet and, as that’s a SHORT page, you can see all kinds of handy widgets such as Google Translate and Instagram without wearing your finger out with excessive scrolling!

Posted in british 21st century modern contemporary female uk artist, british contemporary semi/abstract/non-objective experimental/exploratory process led painting/fine art, licensable abstract expressionist textural colourful fine art painting images, redbubble and other publish on demand prints and products | 1 Comment »
Tags: abstract design, ant parade, Art inspired by Osteoarthritis, art studio, artist journal, artist studio in london, Barts Pathology Museum, Being Human festival, Butterfly Net, childhood memories, Humanizing Medicine, Inclusive, inclusive design, ISA, jamartlondon, jenny meehan, jenny Meehan blog, jenny Meehan writing, Poem, Re-design of the International Symbol of Access, shape open art exhibition, Shape Open Exhibition, Studio Space, symbol, types of paint

Collect Connects’ Artwork for the Tate Exchange at Tate Modern; A great mental health awareness project! – Shape Arts Open 2019 my submission “What Does This Symbol Say?” Alternative International Symbol for Access Design – West Dean Gardens Drawings by Jenny Meehan

September 3, 2019

tate modern, tate exchange, tate modern london, emotion, alban low, connect collect, mental health map, mental health awareness No! Already?

I ran out of time in my last post to tell you more about a project I was pleased to be part of. So better late than never!

Collect Connects’ Artwork for the Tate Modern

This was a Collect Connect project (Alban Low) with Harvey Wells, Kevin Acott and the team at
Queen Mary University of London

From the Collect Connect site:

“In 2016 we created our Relationship Map for Mental Health Awareness Week. It was a large scale artwork that charted people’s life connections using the London Tube map. After its success we’re back in 2019 with a new interactive map that will be exhibited at the Tate Modern from 11th-16th June. It will be part of the Ideas in Motion: borders, bodies, and the universe exhibition at the Tate Modern, Blavatnik Building, Level 5, Bankside, London SE1 9TG.
More info at https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tate-exchange/workshop/ideas-motion-borders-bodies-and-universe”

https://collectconnect.blogspot.com/2019/05/emotion-at-tate-modern.html?fbclid=IwAR1jDo_JkBBElxSUvrJPaFjcIs8FpLoEd31M2BZIEy3JzBqsWOsG62uzyLU

“Our artwork is eMotion: Emotional Transitions in Healthcare. Ill-health requires us to make transitions: to move emotionally, spiritually, socially, physically. We adjust from being ‘healthy’ to being ‘ill’, from ‘independence’ to ‘dependence’ and back again. The project highlights the joys and fear of impermanence, of the changes that occur every second, minute and hour of our lives. It embraces movement as normal, as part of the flow of life – something that should neither be resisted nor forced.

We’ve built a huge interactive floor map, in the style of a tube map, which has ‘end stations’ labelled with key points of ‘stasis’. The ‘station stops’ in between are open for people to explore how they navigate these transitions. We would like your help in creating a map so that visitors at the Tate can navigate a path along these routes of transition.”

quoted from the Collect Connect website

Connections on the interactive floor map reflected journeys between two poles;

Health – Illness

Dependence – Independence

Home – Hospital

Life – Death

Young – Old

Hope – Fear

Certainty – Uncertainty

Me – You

Doctor – Patient

There were three blank “stops” for each line. Artists, including myself, made our contributions concept wise and these were made into options for people to arrange so they could connect the concepts in the way they felt meaningful. (For example: what does it feel like to be in the middle between Hope to Fear, or closer to Hope, or closer to Fear. You could write something like: Hope – Last Minute Corner – First Game of Season – One Nil Up – Fear.)

Some of my ideas were used and it was lovely to contribute.

Here were my submissions:

Life – Death

Grateful Reception – Intimate Connection – Anxious Separation

and

Me – You

Expecting – Meeting – Expecting

Doctor – Patient

Controlling – Enquiring – Seeking

Hope – Fear

Holding Wonder Lightly – Trying to Grasp All – Losing Sense of Self

Dependence – Independence

Vulnerability and Need – Gathering Resources – Freedom to Be

Certainty – Uncertainty

Really? – Faith – Trust

Young – Old

Tender in Expectations – Placid Pivotal Places – Facing the Realities

Home – Hospital

Where it Starts – Where it Happens – Where it Ends

Health – Illness

Moving and Being – Maintaining Momentum – Slipping Down Stagnantly

eMotion: Emotional Transitions in Healthcare
Ill-health requires us to make transitions: to move emotionally, spiritually, socially, physically. We adjust from being ‘healthy’ to being ‘ill’, from ‘independence’ to ‘dependence’ and back again. Track your personal route from illness to wellbeing on an interactive map of the healthcare system.

Tate Modern also have this, which looks interesting. As someone with osteoarthritis….(and a nice new total knee replacement to go with it!) impaired mobility has been part of my own experience. Thankfully at present, I am fully mobile, but I did have a two year period when that was not the case.

“Creating without Constraint: Arthritis and Art
Experience this interactive workshop exploring the relationship between impaired mobility and artistic expression. Our researchers will guide you in a ‘journey’ inside the joints with activities simulating the restriction of movement. The display will include the work of Renoir and Pickering, two artists who lived with arthritis, to explore how art can overcome disability. Also, emerging painter Rebecca Ivatts will give a talk about her collaboration with Pickering.”

I looked around and chatted, having excellent conversations and learning lots, as well as sharing my own perspectives and experience of osteoarthritis. I’m particularly interested in chronic pain management, as this is something I studied a fair bit over the two years before my knee replacement surgery out of necessity. I don’t have pain in my knee anymore, but my elbows, wrists and hands have decided to sometimes advertise themselves in the pain department. I’m getting pretty experienced at moving my mind in other directions now!

Big and Small Names at the Tate Modern

The novel thing is, I can now say my name has been present at the Tate Modern! Yes, printed, and there for all to see. Only because of a small contribution, but there all the same. And names mean a lot to us, so just the little printed presence of my name at the Tate Modern can bring me at least a little smile!

People like their names in places…Yes they do. It’s interesting that the now Blavatnik extension/building at Tate Modern was named the “Switch House” when it was opened in June 2016. I do prefer the original name. It holds some relevance to the history of the building which I think is always a good thing. The now Blavatnik Building was originally named the Switch House to reflect the previous use of the site for a power station. It’s very interesting that you can see two circular terrace areas when you look downwards. You can see the Oil Tank Wall, which is an interesting element of design. The Oil Tank Wall encloses two large circular terraces, to the south and east of the building right in front of the new gallery entrance and café. The Oil Tank wall is an above-grade extrusion of the existing below ground Oil Tanks. I love it. It’s a strong feature which heightens your awareness of the past. I think the building was always meant to strongly echo its past as well as its future…because it has an interesting history.

Tate Modern’s The Turbine Hall is housed in the former Bankside Power Station, designed originally by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (He was the architect of Battersea Power Station too!). It was built between 1947 and 1963. Before it was developed the steel framed brick clad building with it’s 99m chimney was divided into three main areas: the Turbine Hall, the Boiler House to the north, and the switch house to the south.

So you see, bearing in mind the Turbine Hall, the Boiler House and the Switch House…yes, a nice trio. It is a bit sad that the Switch House was renamed. I guess when someone donates a lot of money, they like to have their name included. And it’s kind of understandable. Because I got a tiny bit of a kick out of my little name being in the Tate Modern, so I am sure the same kind of kick, but a little bit larger, applies! So the name was changed, a year after the opening, and reflected Blavatnik’s wishes. Bearing in mind the size of the donation, I think it was probably diplomatic to reflect Blavatnik’s wishes. Nicholas Serota, who stepped down as the Tate director at the end of May 2017 said he was “delighted the new building now bears his name”. Blavatnik made the Tate pledge in 2011 and the Blavatnik Family Foundation’s donation made up a substantial amount of the £260m needed to complete it.

So I do wonder if the name “Switch House” was meant to be it’s proper name… I’m sure it was… It would be in accordance with the other buildings. Yet Len Blavatnik, (an industrialist born in Ukraine) came up with the cash in 2017 when Tate Modern found that the new Switch House extension had left it with a £30m funding shortfall. So I shouldn’t be surprised that a year after it opened, the Switch House was renamed the Blavatnik Building. And I’m quite happy with my own name in very small print on an super contribution to the “Ideas in Motion: borders, bodies, and the universe exhibition”.

https://www.ft.com/content/449ad16e-20dd-11e6-aa98-db1e01fabc0c

USSR-born billionaire made one of largest donations in Tate’s history to help fund building temporarily named Switch House

What Style is that Painting?

This was one of the questions I was asked at this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios.

The terms I tend to use for describing my main thrust in painting are bouncing within the realms of the following terms: Lyrical abstraction, abstraction lyrique, tachism, tachisme, action painting, abstract expressionism, art informal, informalism. But these are terms which relate to particular movements in the past, and serve as a way of describing and communicating what to expect with my own painting, and not anything more than that. And it is the case that within my own realm of art working, I move between several styles… This is part of the process of development. I think I have written about this in a previous post. It is a bad thing to narrow down artistic creation in order to adhere or fit into a style. If it happens it will happen naturally, and evolve that way. It will grow and develop, playing and toying with different styles and approaches en route!

It is the case, that when using paint, things now are tending to fall within the bounds of my approach, which is process led and focused on formal elements and experimenting with materials. What comes through is a materialisation, a becoming, of my self. Which references my life experience and emotional and spiritual journey. Mostly I like to let things happen, rather than plan. But there is a lot of unconscious planning which happens I think. There is a lot of emerging!!!

Historical terms and descriptions of styles are good for searching for the kind of paintings you like, and there are plenty of movements which it is helpful for the keen collector of art to educate themselves in. My own preoccupation is with the formal elements of the painting, and a process led approach. My preferred terminology for my own work is that of British romantic, poetic, lyrical, abstract and expressionistic painting. I like the romantic, because of the way it conveys both individuality and intensity of emotion and the importance of these. I loved my studies of the Romantic poets when at University, and also of the paintings of Turner, which were studies as part of a couple of painting courses at West Dean College given by John T Freeman, (who I credit, among others, with role of welcoming me into the realms of painting as a way of life/vocational activity!)

Yet “style” can be a trap. I believe a consistency can be found which comes from the person themselves. Styles may change but the interactions between mediums and styles are what keep an artist’s work dynamic. I don’t need to stick to one style… It’s more a matter of honing my focus and being reflective and innovative. Sometimes that makes an artist’s work rather an eclectic mix. Diverse at times. That’s good, not bad. Don’t worry about how your work would look on a supermarket shelf. Don’t worry about if you are consistent enough. Do your work for your self, unless you particularly want to do it for other people. That’s fine too. But exploration, discovery, experimentation, and going beyond what you can see or anticipate or plan…. These keep things exciting imo.

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design? If so, then take a look at my website jamartlondon.com, for a start.

DACS do offer a good reduction in fees for registered charities. Occasionally it may be possible for slightly reduced rates to be negotiated in other circumstances.

To find out more about how you can arrange to use my imagery, see here:

https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works/frequently-asked-questions#FAQ122

Artist’s Statement – Jenny Meehan

Artist Statements are funny things…Mine does change over time and circumstances. Which is in accordance with my priorities and focus at the time of writing. This is no bad thing. Often it is very helpful as the need to critically assess and evaluate my vision and objectives, as well as look back into the past and reflect on how things are evolving is a useful practice which needing to write an artist statement helps. Here is an example of an early artist statement I wrote many years back:

“I have been creating two and three dimensional art since 2005. Art is about exploration. I view mine as a natural and evolving process which is primarily to do with the emotions and spirit, though I do enjoy playing with concepts too. My Christian faith, relationships, and artistic contemplation and production are the main driving forces in my life.

Trees and plants, metal objects, the human figure, and many different types of man- made constructions, are subject matter I favour. I like to explore different styles of expression using a range of media; primarily paint, photography, poetry, metal and paper. The brokenness of human experience fascinates me, but also the potential for growth and renewal. My work has a positive outlook, as I think that it is often through suffering, touched by God’s grace, that the beauty of the human soul is revealed. The idea of strength combined with vulnerability is particularly attractive to me.

My art is a sacramental practice, and the mystery of faith and its reality beyond our human rational mindset is something which interests me. I also see my work as an articulation of fragmentary experience; it’s how I make sense of the world. Alongside my general fine art practice I am interested in liturgical art using a variety of media. Since 2008 I have put most of my creative energies into developing my skills with paint, which I love. Intensely.”

I quite like this one…It gives a gentle overview, which includes a lot about spirituality and faith and the importance inspiration wise of my religious tradition. It’s not very focused on any particular current project of the time…I wanted to keep it very broad and tried to cover a large area with it. Maybe a little too much of an overview I think, looking at it now. However, the purpose is important, and it was written for my website at the time, so in that sense I think it was a pretty well fitting piece of writing.

Lovely West Dean College and West Dean Gardens!

west dean gardens west dean, drawing by jenny meehan

Drawing done in West Dean Gardens

Drawing by Jenny Meehan in West Dean Gardens Sussex.

Another one….

drawing by jenny meehan in West Dean Gardens Sussex

Another one!

I will post some photos at some point.

This year I was experimenting with Collagraphs. Very nice medium… Right up my street. I have been working with black a fair bit in my studio tent recently…. experimenting, so the rich black ink was a welcome sight and the textures are always so dynamic in terms of the marks they can make. So it was a delight. Take a look on my instagram to see some of what I produced, though as is always, I have taken home a lot of work to do which will keep me on track in that area for some time. I’m not interested in working large or producing editions…Small unique prints are more interesting and why produce more of the same?

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

Shape Open 2019

Very please to be taking part in this year’s Shape Open Exhibition. It’s great my two years of increasing physical disability before a much needed knee replacement proved so fruitful in unexpected ways. Not easy, but to take part in the Shape Open 2019 with my work “What Does this Symbol Say?” feels very appropriate, because the creation of my artwork is intimately connected with my own experience of disability.

https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Blog/shape-open-2019-artists-announced

Inclusive International Symbol of Access Design by Jenny Meehan

Here is the text I submitted:

“My re-design of the International Symbol of
Access is inspired by my own need to rethink
what disability is due to a period of restricted
mobility prior to knee replacement surgery.
Finding myself in need of using an accessible
toilet, for example, helped me to realise how
inappropriate the existing symbol was.
I’d like people viewing the work to add their
thoughts as to what it expresses to them. If the
ISA was to change, this could have a powerful
impact in many societies and open up
dialogue and awareness in a very beneficial
way.
Opportunities to rethink are intimately linked
with with conversation about disability, and art
is a key player in helping peoples awareness
to increase through engaging with new ways
of seeing and experiencing things. In my
view, the focus for progression in all things
needs to encompass a strong sense of moving
forwards and upwards, and this new icon has this. ”

The reason why I think my design is a good option:

It’s got the right angle of what was the seat of the wheelchair and also the round circle which was the wheel. It has the three main elements of the existing wheelchair symbol but rearranged and reinterpreted. Open arms convey welcome and reception of.

My symbol has also the following strengths:

It retains the circle, helping recognition, as society adjusts from the old to the new
It works in both static and mobile situations (ie previous crit of the dynamic wheelchair version)
It suggests refuge (a circle as something which encompasses and surrounds in a protective way)
It suggests entering into…. key for accessibility…the pointed end of the v shape enters into the inside of the circle
It suggests freedom…. The arms (v shape) are outstretched and open. This is freedom for the disabled person
the feeling of this icon is buoyant and expansive…
the small circle and upturned V shape resemble the top half of a person’s body, meaning it still contains the two key elements from the old symbol, a circle and a human body, just in a slightly more open and abstract way.
The whole icon has a sense of outwards and upwards… things are moving forwards.
The whole icon is more inclusive, and shows inclusion visually too… ie the person goes into and comes out of the circle. Helpful when used to signify that facilities are designed around the person.

Facilities are designed around the person, and the symbol is designed with the person, not the wheelchair, being central which is more appropriate.

Unfortunately the process for getting the International Access Symbol changed is probably near impossible, as there are so many bodies and countries and boards which it would need to go through. However, this hasn’t stopped me creating this. It’s making it’s debut into the world in the perfect place.

I designed my inclusive international access symbol in February this year. I later used it to create another different design with a specific emphasis on mental health; “State of the Art”. State of the Art is an emblem with specific personal links to my own psychological and emotional trauma recovery, while “What Does this Symbol Say?” is a symbol design which relates to my experiences of physical disability, though of course the two are related!

I’m looking forward to the private view! Info here (from Shape website):

“Join us for the Private View of the 2019 Shape Open on Thursday 5th September from 6.30 – 8.30pm.

This event will be BSL interpreted.

The exhibition will be available at Nunnery Gallery until 19th September.

The Shape Open 2019 exhibition explores the theme ‘In Circles’ in the context of disability. Disabled and non-disabled artists were invited to submit work for Shape Arts’ seventh annual Open exhibition that ignites debate and discussion on disability from a wide range of viewpoints.

This year’s exhibition theme ‘In Circles’ questions whether progress for disabled artists is being and can be made within the arts, if our work is counterproductive and a circular argument, or if we can shift institutional thinking.

The exhibition showcases work across a wide range of art forms from artists around the world.

The 2019 Shape Open exhibiting artists are:

Tony Allen, Richard Amm, Faith Bebbington, Coreen Bernard, Lizz Brady, Claire Callow, Sam Castell-Ward, Annie Ho Cooper, Daisy Cowley, Nikki Davidson-Bowman, Catriona Faulkner, Alice Rose Floyd, Steven Fraser, CL Gamble, Laura Graham, Michael Gurhy, Steven Hardy, Jack Haslam, Liam Hassan-Beserekumo, Tzipporah Johnston, Elora Kadir, Nihan Karim, Glynis Lamond, Carrie Mason, Campbell Mcconnell, Andrew McPhail, Jenny Meehan, Charlie J. Meyers, Bella Milroy, Aidan Moesby, Steve Musk, Elfrida Osbert, Alice Partington, Beau Rouse, Amna Sharif, Anne Smith, Mark Tamer, Andrea Vicentini, Aminder Virdee, Ophir Yaron, and Chan Chung Yuen.

A winning artist, selected by a small panel including Shape Open Patron, Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA), will be awarded £1,000 at the Private View; a second artist will receive the People’s Choice Award of £250, as voted for by visitors of the exhibition throughout its duration. The People’s Choice Award is kindly supported by Crucial Colour Ltd, part of L&S Printing Co Ltd in Worthing, West Sussex.

Full details can be found here: https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Event/shape-open-2019

Travel Information
Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 10am to 5pm
Address: Nunnery Gallery, 181 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ
Nearest station(s): Bow Road (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is a 6-minute walk away, and Bow Church (DLR) is a 3-minute walk away.
Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area.”

Last, but not Least… North Pennines AONB Environmental Conservation Organization Subterraneous Exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre

I have my work on show at Bowlees Visitor Centre. The location of the centre is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty/AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark. It looks like a lovely area. I cannot visit the exhibition but hopefully they will publish online a lot about it soon.

There’s an article here:

https://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/art-and-leisure/exhibition-celebrates-dales-secret-world-of-bugs

I am very pleased to have my art work in this art exhibition!

My “Ant Parade” surface pattern design is something I was very pleased with and I like my work to be seen and enjoyed by others as much as possible.

Text from the above:

“More than 50 creations are on display in the Subterraneous exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre which continues to September 29 as part of the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Cold-blooded and Spineless project.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project raises awareness of invertebrates and highlights their importance to our environment and our lives.

Subterraneous will uncover the world of invertebrates, largely hidden from view.

The work has involved artists from the North Pennines and further afield.

Furry creatures will invade the exhibition space at Bowlees Visitor Centre and a variety of sculptures, sound and images will emphasise the importance of invertebrate conservation.

Works include ancient fossils in sandstone, vibrant insects made from recycled silk ties and even a sculpture that functions as a soil ecosystem.

There will also be an “infestation chair”, covered in a screen-printed design, celebrating the beauty and complexity of insect life.”

I like the sound of that chair!

North Pennines AONB, Environmental Conservation Organization, Subterraneous Exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centreant parade by jenny meehan , surface pattern design, bugs, insects, ants,

ant parade by jenny meehan ©jenny meehan North Pennines AONB Environmental Conservation Organization Subterraneous Exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre

I am pleased to be supporting the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Cold-blooded and Spineless project by exhibiting my work in the Subterraneous exhibition.

Subterraneous is part of an AONB Partnership project.

Cold-blooded and Spineless is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Find out more here:

@HeritageFundNOR

And here:

Twitter @NorthPennAONB @northpennwild

Facebook @NorthPenninesAONB

Instagram @northpenninesaonb

My text on Ant Parade

Ant Parade 2019

This small square piece of fabric is an example of one strand of my creative practice which involves experimentation with geometric shapes and patterns. The original form of the ants has been obscured and distorted through my visual interpretation, which I developed in order to emphasise the way ants work together.

Ants live and work together in highly organised societies called colonies. In fact, most ant colonies are so united toward the common purposes of survival, growth, and reproduction that they behave like a single organism, or a “superorganism.”

Pattern is an underlying structure that organises surfaces or structures in a consistent, regular manner. Pattern can be described as a repeating unit of shape or form, but it can also be thought of as the “skeleton” that organises the parts of a composition.

So these little invertebrates, do share a hidden, less obvious skeleton, of sorts. It’s the case in life that often the structures which hold the body together are not obvious at all, and sometimes completely invisible.

Pattern exists in nature as well as in designed objects; it is interesting to look at the parallels between art and nature, also appreciating the less obvious ones. Some formations are obvious and some are not.

An army of ants may well consist of creatures classified as invertebrate, but it’s certainly not spineless! A spinal column gives the body form and function. There’s a hidden spine in this ant parade, which I have interpreted visually in an abstract manner.

About Jenny Meehan British Contemporary Fine Artist and Designer

Jenny Meehan jamartlondon.com

I am a painter-poet/visual artist, contemplative/poet/writer, art educator, teacher and spiritual mentor (Progressive Christian faith centred) based in East Surrey/South West London, UK.

Support my art working by buying products of my design on Redbubble.com and also of course, original fine paintings, available direct from me!
Geometric and lyrical abstraction from London/Surrey based female British Contemporary Artist.

I’m interested in spirituality (particularly Christ centred spirituality), creativity, emotional and psychological well-being, trauma recovery, and mindfulness.

I exhibit mainly in the UK, and am a member of Kingston Artists’ Open Studios (KAOS).

I have trained both with SPIDIR and through a variety of other training bodies as a spiritual guide/mentor.
I am a trained teacher (PGCE) and hold occasional small groups in developing painting and drawing skills, as well as offering occasional individual tuition.

Contact me via the contact form on my website http://www.jamartlondon.com

If you are less interested in original fine art and paintings, but would like to have something with my imagery on it, then go to:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/JennyMeehan/portfolio

and

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/portfolio

Where you can buy selected art and design.
For the more geometric abstract strand of my art and design:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/JennyMeehan/portfolio has more, and for lyrical abstraction painting-prints I will be putting work up on the other redbubble profile:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/portfolio

I gain a small royalty percentage which helps me towards the cost of materials and exhibiting my work. Every little helps.

You can contact me via the contact form on my website jamartlondon.com

Some of my original paintings are available for purchase when no longer required for exhibition, and I am happy to license images of my work via the Designers and Artists Copyright Society (DACS).

All content is © Jenny Meehan.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts of writing and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jenny Meehan with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Images may not be used without permission.

If you are looking for artwork, particularly abstract, colourist, expressionistic lyrical abstraction type painting images suitable for book covers etc, then do contact me as I might have something to suit which will be quick and easy to license via DACS

www.jamartlondon.com

https://www.instagram.com/jamartlondon_jennymeehan/

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Hot July! – Jamartlondon_jennymeehan Instagram Account – Dulwich Picture Gallery: Art and Identity – Digital Innovation in Mental Health Conference in London –

July 25, 2019

Erm, better late than never… This JULY post is coming at the end of JULY!

catastrophe becoming painting 100days100women.wordpress.com, abstract expressionist lyrical romantic painting, jenny meehan © Jenny Meehan DACS All Rights Reserved

catastrophe becoming painting by jenny meehan submitted to 100days100women.wordpress.com british collectable abstract paintings

Becoming – Painting and Poem by Jenny Meehan

“Becoming
light and colour.
The poetic space
coming together.
In one, long, moment
I will take you there,
and you will see
beauty in brokenness. ”

Jenny Meehan

Posting again…One of my favourite, simple poems. And one of my favourite paintings too!

You cannot see from the image the texture or the light interplay with the texture and colour… The tiny glass spheres which I use on the surface of my acrylic lyrically abstract paintings are a vital part of the exploration of surface, light and space which interests me.

These hard little spheres are resonant for me of trauma… But they are not sharp, and so there is some kindness in their shape. And they are highly reflective of LIGHT! This brings another dimension to my use of them… I like this, for this is what I do in my life. With even these hard little spheres, formed through traumatic experience, maybe, in my thinking, there can still be beauty, and even a beauty which would not be possible without them.

The painting is called Catastrophe/Becoming. The poem “Becoming”. Because I focus on the process of becoming and of forward movement. Forward motion. Lyrically abstract paintings don’t tend to lean towards any particular firm concept or pictorial image, but psychological resonances are something which, as their creator, I can testify, are often very rich and strong. Not at the outset, but as I go through the process of working on the painting and as I trust myself, my intuitive responses bring a sense of sense…That may be a better expression than “meaning”. For meaning is something you know. And this kind of painting isn’t about knowing. It’s about allowing myself to move into the unknown, but into feeling and a poetic presence… It is the case, on reflection and towards the end of the process… And even some time after, that I understand what it meant to me. But the making sense of it must never be the reason for it’s existence. And I hope that the viewer too can experience the freedom of being free from the shackles of needing to understand. For there is much in life we cannot understand and cannot know.

It can be difficult.

But so it must be.

Jamartlondon_jennymeehan Instagram Account now active

I have succumbed! Needs must! I do need support for my creative art working, and I do need to get it out there before I die…Now is the time to do it. Instagram is so different from my preferred meandering discourse, but this journal can satisfy my need to meander on with a long narrative. Jamartlondon_jenny meehan is such a different medium. It’s a kind of funnel for STUFF. I love it and hate it. But needs must. And I must too. However, it’s a good way of organising my imagery, of which I have much. And it is just the way of our era! I sound a bit old, I think. But I am getting used to that too. This being in the second half of my life thing!

Dulwich Picture Gallery Exhibition

I had a nice evening on 19th July at Dulwich Picture Gallery! Though unfortunately I have sprained my ankle which was quite literally, a pain. I strapped it up which helped.

At the moment they have the amazing looking Colour Palace.

Info for the Art and Identity evening and The Colour Palace…

Dulwich Pavilion 2019: The Colour Palace
What’s OnDulwich Pavilion 2019: The Colour Palace
This summer, the Dulwich Pavilion returns with The Colour Palace, created by Pricegore architects and designer Yinka Ilori.

Free and open to all this summer, The Colour Palace will bring our grounds to technicolour life.

A fusion of West African and European influences, the Pavilion is inspired by the buzz of fabric markets in Lagos, and the symmetry, curves and right angles of Sir John Soane’s iconic Gallery design.

The structure
The Colour Palace is a 10 metre high cube with a bold geometric pattern, standing on four huge red cylinders. At its core is an atrium, creating an arena where visitors can view the structure from many different perspectives, including from an interior raised viewing platform.

Start date12 June 2019
End date22 September 2019
Open10am–5pm Tuesday–Sunday (Open late for special events; Gallery closed on Mondays except bank holidays)
PriceFree

https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/gallery-lates/2019/july/pavilion-late-the-art-of-identity/

Pavilion Late: The Art of Identity
What’s OnPavilion Late: The Art of Identity
Experience the kaleidoscopic Colour Palace after hours in this special Late exploring art, heritage and identity.
In collaboration with Pricegore architects, the design for The Colour Palace was inspired by Yinka Ilori’s memories of fabric markets in Lagos with his grandmother – as well as unique examples of European architecture. This Late invites you to question our relationship to art and architecture through the lens of cultural heritage and identity. The evening includes pop-up talks with print artist The Fandangoe Kid and designer Yinka Ilori, music from Tony Njoku, drop-in art-making including sculpting, stitching and sketching places and stories of personal significance, with delicious food and drink available to purchase.

“Evening includes
Art and Ancestry: pop-up talks from designers Yinka Ilori and The Fandangoe Kid on how their ancestry and heritage has influenced their practice
Drop-in story sketching with Ilga Leimanis
Collaborative textile making with Stitch School
Music from Tony Njoku
Expressions of identity in a display created by artists from Brixton’s SHARP Gallery (Social inclusion, Hope and Recovery Project).
Access to the Gallery and Cutting Edge: Modernist British Printmaking
ARTiculation alumni, Lewis Duncan and Oliver Simpson, discuss Erno Goldfinger’s Balfron Tower, and the Barbican Estate respectively.
On Brand: design your own personal logo or symbol, taking inspiration from The Colour Palace
Speed drawing: sketch a stranger while they tell you about themselves

Tickets free, booking essential!”

Expressions of identity in a display created by artists from Brixton’s SHARP Gallery (Social inclusion, Hope and Recovery Project).

Yep, that’s where my contribution can be found. I might have posted here on it before, so apologies if repeat.

mort main by jenny meehan art and identity painting collage

Text for Mort Main by Jenny Meehan .

“Mortmain (Dead Hand)

the oppressive influence of the past

As I am a person who grew up as a child of a mother with a serious chronic mental disorder (paranoid schizophrenia) I am aware of the pull of the past on my sense of identity. I believe this was something my mother also felt, though she did not have the liberty I experience to unpack its meanings for her to the extent I am able to. My creative practice is a vital part of my own identity formation, and in this piece I acknowledge the oppressive influence of the past; the dead hand “Mortmain”. But in making this work I confront the dead hand: by printing my own hand print within the blackness, I make my own impression in a way which only I can do. It’s an affirmation of a sense of self completely separate from the past, while at the same time not choosing to deny it’s existence or influence.

The ways in which I touch the world and the ways in which I work with materials draw my sense of self into a realm of total freedom which is a far cry from any imprinting from my earlier years. I have chosen this corrugated card as the substrate because it came from a cardboard box I tore apart: a container for contents which no longer exist; it’s useful life is over. It once held things inside which were part of its identity as a box but now it is simply a piece of cardboard. In my formative years I held many things inside myself to my own detriment; the way I have torn the box is symbolic of the cathartic choices I’ve made, many helped through my engagement in the process of psychotherapy.

The box would normally be discarded, but I’ve chosen to keep part of it as a metaphor for the way that through the realisation and expression of feelings and ideas previously unacknowledged, people are able to separate themselves from parts of their identity which have acted on their psyche in a dead handed manner. I originally thought about it being displayed by being placed on the floor, which would feel more natural to it (being of waste matter in substance), however, it’s an acknowledgement of a lot of work done both by myself, and indeed many people across the world, in the process of self recovery, so I don’t mind if it is hung in a gallery setting.”

It was nice to go back to the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

I had my painting “Bright and Breezy” selected in their open art competition in 2015

lDulwich Picture Gallery Open Exhibition, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD 30th Sept – 12th Oct 2015. Juried, (Selection panel headed by Ian Dejardin, and including Rebecca Fortnum, Clive Head, Nicky Hirst and Elo Schuneman).

bright and breezy painting meehan at dulwich picture gallery uk

bright and breezy painting jenny meehan at dulwich picture gallery uk

bright and breezy painting meehan at dulwich picture gallery uk

Bright and Breezy” Jenny Meehan Acrylic and Oil Painting

Hmm, looks a bit darker in this image than in real life. It’s for sale, by the way if you are interested contact me via the contact form on my website please. Most of my work is available for sale, well…providing it hasn’t been sold already. I do keep some back though. Most are looking for new owners!

My, that seems a long time ago! Time does fly!

Like much of my lyrical abstract painting, memory does have an important influence. During the painting process the memories sometimes emerge. Different for different paintings, of course, and sometimes the relationship isn’t there or isn’t direct, but in the case of “Bright and Breezy” a very clear reference does exist.

combe martin bay tuft devon jenny meehan

Happy memories, and I was so struck by the way the tree tuft hangs onto the rocks. It was always there, on every holiday at Combe Martin in North Devon. There were no bad memories of this place. All happy. But yet a reminder of the tenacity needed in life, through all it’s hardships too. Even then, as a child, this struck true.

By the way, you can still visit the Colour Palace at Dulwich Picture Gallery…

“This summer, the Dulwich Pavilion returns with The Colour Palace, created by Pricegore architects and designer Yinka Ilori.

Free and open to the public throughout the summer months, The Colour Palace is a fusion of West African and European influences, inspired by the buzz of fabric markets in Lagos, Nigeria, and incorporating symmetry, curves and right-angles – all elements present in Sir John Soane’s iconic 1811 design of the Gallery. On each side of the Pavilion, brightly coloured timber slats create layers that shift when viewed from different angles, bringing the Gallery’s grounds into technicolour life.

The structure
The Colour Palace is a 10 metre high cube with a bold geometric pattern, standing on four huge red cylinders. At its core is an atrium, creating an arena where visitors can view the structure from many different perspectives, including from an interior raised viewing platform.

In partnership with the London Festival of Architecture 2019″

https://www.beckyinkster.com/summer-2019-conference

Digital Innovation in Mental Health 2019 (DIMH2019) Conference, Lead/Creator, London, UK, 13-14th August 2019

Glad to be part of this. I have some work included as part of this mental health conference. It was interesting to combine some ongoing interests in fractals with another ongoing interest in inclusiveness! And so here it is “State of the Art” .

Accompanying text:

As a person who grew up in the care of a mother with a serious chronic mental disorder (paranoid schizophrenia) I’m highly aware of how less isolated I might have been if the digital technological innovations we have now, existed then. Access to psychological help and the opportunity to share feelings can transform challenging situations we face and make them more bearable. I’ve designed this artwork to be displayed ideally as a projection on a large scale, though it could be shown online or printed as other options.

It features my idea for a new international symbol of access combined with pattern created by using fractal generating software. I wanted to create a positive emblem of mental health and inclusion which conveyed order, balance and light. For people who do not receive the support they need, (maybe due to the limitations on mental health services/ignorance/denial) the internet offers opportunities for communication and expression; both increase potential for life enhancing change.

The use of information and communication technologies to support and improve mental health and health care improves access and awareness, helping people to reach out both in giving and receiving support. I’ve experienced the positives in my own life, and so this is both a personal and wider expression. My ongoing interest in trauma recovery is a source of inspiration in much of my artistic practice so it’s lovely to be able to create this digital image with what seems the perfect medium to use for the purpose!

Jenny Meehan

Jenny Meehan is a Kingston Upon Thames based fine artist and designer working primarily with painting and digital imagery. Following her studies at Kingston University (BA Hons Literature) a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Roehampton University led to a career in teaching. From 2010 Jenny focused on the Visual Arts, training at both West Dean College and local adult education provision. Selected by a wide range of judges, her work has been displayed across many galleries and museums in the UK. These include the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Pallant House Gallery, and Kingston Museum.

Jenny uses a process led approach to art making, and while the artwork she creates is informed by her research activities, outlook on life, and personal experiences, it is the formal aesthetic qualities, and what she perceives as the presence, or poetry, of the work itself, which she is most concerned with. Her visual art is intimately connected with her writing and poetry, and the relationship between these two strands of creativity is a lively and interesting one.

http://www.jamartlondon.com (Artist’s personal website)
https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/ (The Artist’s Meandering Discourse Artist’s Journal)

People naturally want to know about the process of creating a piece of art. If my artistic produce developed in a linear fashion then this would be quite straightforward, but I find that isn’t the way it works for me. The reality of my creative process is very piecemeal. Very piecemeal! I work on several things at a time, dipping in and out of them. There are normally several ongoing strands which develop sometimes very slowly over the course of time. I believe creative development happens in a cyclical, rather than a linear way. While the mind can interpret and attempt to explain things, which can be helpful of course, it can also be quite limiting if one attempts to get a grip on something which is very evolutionary!

It’s in the flow, and in the playing around, that very interesting things happen, and so an important part of my creative practice involves a very conscious effort NOT to understand or explain what I am doing. I think that the subconscious mind is vital in establishing what is really important to me, and I like to give that priority. I often find that things do just come together in an organic way. The main thing for me is listening to myself and my emotions and following my instincts when I work with materials and imagery. There’s a huge amount of trust involved really…. And letting go. One has to be prepared to be out of ones depth, confused, and lacking knowledge. It’s a humble place.

I normally don’t realise the significance of what I am doing until a couple of years later. It can happen more quickly, but I guess there is the advantage of not rushing and letting things happen naturally. I sometimes discuss my artistic output with my therapist, as I have been involved in an ongoing psychoanalytic process since 2012, and this can be helpful at times in appreciating what I understand as the grace of God in my life.

I credit the psychoanalytic work I have been doing, the interventions of a compassionate Creator God, and the love shown to me in many other ways through all kinds of people, as the things which enable me to continue to flourishing in the creative expressions which are such an integral part of my being.

E – Mental Health

What is it? E-mental health is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and improve mental health, including the use of online resources, social media and smartphone applications. This is a very good thing indeed in terms of resources. I do feel there is no replacement for one to one or group psychotherapy…I’m passionate about that, because I’ve experienced the benefits. However, to have a range of resources is really important.

“Digital mental health
In the UK, 38 million adults access the internet every day.1 That’s 76% of the adult population. On average, internet users aged 16 and over spends more than 20 hours online each week and more than 70% have a social networking profile.2

With this growth of the internet, online spaces and smartphone apps, healthcare services are beginning to use these developing technologies to help monitor health and prevent and treat any problems. Digital health (or e-health as it’s sometimes known) is a wide and varying concept that includes the use of technology for digital record keeping, online booking systems, online repeat prescriptions and some more innovative uses of technology for direct treatment.”

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/digital-mental-health

What is digital mental health?

It might be online self-help, as not everyone feels they need to or wants to speak to someone for professional help. This might include using information to understand mental health, using online self-management guides or using message boards or online programmes for direct support. There’s no waiting list, which is good, and GP’s might be able to prescribe online self-help resources. Local charities may have resources available.

E-therapy
E-therapies are programmes that use the internet or mobile devices to deliver interactive interventions for preventing and treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. They tend to use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and people complete exercises and receive feedback on their progress. Some might even use live therapy through video calling platforms.

Note; Therapy experienced over Skype, for example, is a bit different from having it in person. Quite a lot different…I know because my own therapy is now over Skype, while it used to be for many years in person, but it’s certainly got a place.

Blended care
Blended care involves a combination of face-to-face treatment with online sessions. This could be online treatment sessions with structured delivery and monitoring of the core treatment information and exercises, alongside additional face-to-face sessions. In the face-to-face sessions, therapists can offer customised treatment by responding to the patient’s needs, problems or wishes in real time.

This seems like a great solution. It would have been great for me in the gap between my NHS psychoanalytic therapy finishing and my placement as a training patient which gave me access to psychoanalytic therapy in a way I could afford to access. The period between my NHS therapy finishing and starting work with a therapist was about six months and it was really very hard. Probably one of the hardest periods in my life. I got through it armed with an excellent book called “Ten Best Ever Depression Management Techniques” by Margaret Wehrenberg. It would have been really very good to have a little bit more support and I do think that the kind of things available now with e-mental health would have been helpful. At the time I didn’t know about such things…It was several years ago, around 2010, so I’m not sure what was around.

The 10 Best-Ever Depression Management Techniques: Understanding How Your Brain Makes You Depressed and What You Can Do to Change It
Book by Margaret Wehrenberg

I have posted the link because I heartily recommend this book. It does require focus and action, which is hard when you are very depressed, however, it was a life-saver for me, giving me somethings I could do to hang onto when I was waiting for much needed one to one therapeutic intervention.

What also helped me a lot was a few email exchanges from several charitable organisations. That was very good in terms of helping me to express myself. The situation for me in 2010 was that I wasn’t in a place where I was able to speak…at all…about the traumatic experiences I had had… And I’m sure this is common. When I went to my GP I had to write down what I had come about… I could not speak… It was not possible! I could speak about everyday matters, yes, but not about my feelings or thoughts. So being able to communicate with someone in that indirect way most certainly had a very important place in helping people access psychological health.

My concern is that it has the potential to also reduce funding being put into personal psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic therapy, in particular is absolutely the right thing for someone who wants to explore deeply themselves and sometimes that is the only way, or at least, a key way, which cannot happen in any other way. There’s no substitute for someone engaging in that type of process…There’s no quick fix, or other kind of experience which can replace it. It’s relational and trans formative in a very particular way. I’m a strong advocate of the psycho analytical approach, and quite honestly I think that loads more funding should go into that, but that’s my take!

Psychoanalysis and the psychoanalytic approach certainly is not for everyone. But oh, I do wish the NHS would fund it more, so more people could access it. For me I do think it saved my life…It stopped my situation becoming a crisis, (Well, it was a kind of longish, but at least functional, crisis, but it kept me out of hospital!) and for the NHS it actually saved them money, because though my NHS therapy cost money, I’m quite sure it wasn’t as expensive as a psychiatric hospital admission and the necessary aftercare related to that.

Kingston Artists’ Open Studios 2019 – Done and Dusted

kingston artists open studios jamartlondon jenny meehan art on show

jamartlondon jenny meehan british lyrical abstract fine painting by contemporary london modernist artist designer

jenny meehan image of

I’d Like to tell you a bit more about an excellent project I was glad to be part of at Tate Modern, but I will need to do that next time, as I need to move onto to some practical painting now! I will write more next time.. This below was the background to it though.

Tate Exchange in London

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tate-exchange/workshop/ideas-motion-borders-bodies-and-universe

“How can we move freely in our bodies and across borders, in museums and across the cosmos?

Imagine moving without constraint, unhampered by injury or ill-health. Imagine being unrestricted by national borders or proof of citizenship. The universe might feel like it could expand without limit, but human beings seem constantly to come up against barriers. Researchers from across Queen Mary University of London share their work and invite you to explore the different ways we move and the obstacles we face.”

quoted from the Tate Modern website..

The Tate Exchange workshops are located on the fifth floor of the Blavatnik Building at Tate Modern. And it is FREEEEEEE! There is a packed programme of artists, responses, workshops, talks and events, where you can join the conversation and collaborate in art making. This year the theme is ‘Movement’. A topic close to my own heart, for sure.

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/tate-exchange

About Jenny Meehan Contemporary British Artist

Jenny Meehan jamartlondon.com

I am a painter-poet/visual artist, contemplative/poet/writer, art educator, teacher and spiritual mentor (Progressive Christian faith centred) based in East Surrey/South West London, UK.

I’m interested in spirituality (particularly Christ centred spirituality), creativity, emotional and psychological well-being, trauma recovery, and mindfulness.

I exhibit mainly in the UK, and am a member of Kingston Artists’ Open Studios (KAOS).

Contact me via the contact form on my website http://www.jamartlondon.com

If you are less interested in original fine art and paintings, but would like to have something with my imagery on it, then go to:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/JennyMeehan/portfolio

and

https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/portfolio

I gain a small royalty percentage which helps me towards the cost of materials and exhibiting my work. Every little helps.

You can contact me via the contact form on my website jamartlondon.com

Some of my original paintings are available for purchase when no longer required for exhibition, and I am happy to license images of my work via the Designers and Artists Copyright Society (DACS).

www.jamartlondon.com

instagram is jamartlondon_jennymeehan

Posted in abstract internal (imaginative) and external landscape(representational) painting, british 21st century modern contemporary female uk artist, british contemporary semi/abstract/non-objective experimental/exploratory process led painting/fine art, fine artist painting lyrical direct romantic expressive abstraction south west london/ surrey, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
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“First Day; Morning” – Sean Scully favourite quotes – Redbubble.com -Advice to Art Collectors from an Artist: What to Collect? – Art Working and my Trauma Recovery – London Downpour – Lyrically Abstract Painting – Jenny Meehan – Kingston Artists’ Open Studios 2019

May 19, 2019

First Day; Morning

Above: First Day; Morning. Archival Quality Digital Print….

I’m just sorting out some digital prints ready for this years Kingston Artists’ Open Studios…And “First Day; Morning” is one of them. I’ve become fascinated with the circle as a geometric shape and am using it increasingly in my art working. Yet my ongoing interest in texture and surface persist.

In the run up to the Open Studios most of my focus is on organisation at the moment, as well as reviewing work and deciding what to show. It’s a busy time, but rewarding. There’s the odd conflict between selecting work that I hope might sell and selecting work which I personally want to spent a couple of weekends looking at! I do need to sell artwork…Money is needed. And space is needed! The great thing about being so productive, is I have a lot of choice in what I decide to show. There’s only a tiny fraction of my work on the internet, and my archives are huge. But with work which is actually printed or painted… It does take up space. And space is limited!

I’m in the mood for writing now, so I’m going for it! I’d like to write more in the future…More project based and focused…but for now the “meandering discourse” serves me best for it’s function, which isn’t particularly focused (in an “overview” kind of way…with editing and honing and shaping, and all of that): It never was meant to be something which stood on it’s own two feet. Rather a brook through my mind and thinking; sometimes feeling… meeting artwork here and there. Not showing in a conclusive way. But something useful for me to look back on. Indeed, I do. And it serves it’s purpose. Works as a kind of gauge at times. Shows movement in other areas, even though it moves itself. Leaves an indentation, which is easier to see when looking backwards.

“First Day; Morning” and “First Day Evening” will be available for sale at this year’s Kingston Artists’ Open Studios!

Sean Scully

I enjoyed the recent programme on Sean Scully. Interesting quote:

He admits to being a bit surprised that his stature has not just endured but grown exponentially. “I think it’s a question of the way the cultural ocean moves,” he explains. “Painting has made a huge comeback. There’s a whole generation of curators out there who are young, but they’re sick and tired of conceptual art, they’re interested in things that are actually made. So all over, in South America, in China, there’s a return to a world of emotional materiality in painting. In a way I was waiting for this to happen for a long time, but no longer.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/culture/art-and-design/visual-art/artist-sean-scully-it-s-about-stacking-putting-things-in-order-1.3642099%3fmode=amp
Sat, Sep 29, 2018, 05:00. Article written by Aiden Dunne

Read the whole article.

http://seanscullystudio.com/

He certainly has plenty of room (and studios in the plural!) to paint in!

“A mysterious embodiment, it remains silent, yet potentially potent, whilst never entirely giving up its mystery.” On painting, from Metaphor

On abstract painting and music….Kevin Power / Sean Scully October 2, 2002
(Questions to Sean Scully on the occasion of Encuentro, Mudial de Las Artes,
Valencia October 3-6 2002)

“It is sometimes said that all art aspires to the condition of
music. I would like my art to aspire to something like the condition of music:
but a condition that can be felt and experienced in a deep moment. I think
with painting you can get rid of the problem of time. You can feel it abstracted
in the rhythms, in the layers of the painting; but you are, for your moment,
free.
I do believe abstraction is and was meant to embody deep emotion. I believe
that’s its job, in the history of art. The edges of the character and forms in my
paintings should lie against and with each other, with complexity and
emotional depth. Naturally one feels time in my work, because it is layered. It
is repainted many times, in different colors and weights of paint, always by
me: until somehow everything lives, however gracefully or awkwardly, in its
right place. So it’s a façade, but it’s a façade that submits to feeling or is
overwhelmed by it: since nothing is perfect.”

This is something I wish I heard more often:

“You have talked about yourself as a ‘romantic realist”, a stance that given our
present circumstances is not easy to sustain both on account of the geo political changes
taking place in the world and because numerous philosophers seem to be questioning the
gains of our Western humanist tradition to which such an attitude clearly belongs. How
do you see the real as now penetrating the romantic frame through which you “feel” the
world?
This is a very big question, a question about which one could write a book. I
am very aware that the romantic is now seen to be of limited relevance.
However, I have attempted to articulate my idealistic sense of romanticism in
the world, as it is, with its problems now. Without giving up on my true
personal feeling. To say it simply, I think it’s not only possible, but important to
offer a deeply felt example of a humanistic art form: in a world that has
become extremely cynical. I have lived through many changes, social and
political, that have affected me and changed me. However, my art is trying to
address something eternal and universal. So however difficult it may be for
someone with my sense of connection (connectedness) to continue to offer
an idealistic/humanistic view, I have to keep doing it. In fact, the worse it gets,
the more crucial it is to offer it.
I hope my work can stand as an example of another possibility. I realized,
when I moved out of the political arena in my radical days, that I would
experience as an artist moments of guilt and impotence.”

Here’s a bit about the programme I watched:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2019/15/unstoppable-sean-scully

You can watch it here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00041pb/unstoppable-sean-scully-and-the-art-of-everything

Signs of the Times… Continues!

One of the great things about art working is the way that things develop over time. I think it may be the best! I love the way I get new perspectives on things I have done often several years ago. The “Signs of the Times” strand of experimentation started a few years back, but set me off on a useful path into working with flat surfaces and geometric elements…A welcome change from the lyrical abstraction. (It’s easily possible to become over saturated with one aspect of your work). Contrasts and changes, trying new mediums, and keeping an open mind are essential in artistic creation. Concepts are all well and good, but the tree of ideas grows from the art working, in my opinion. Life and its experiences enter the life of the artist and strange things happen there! Well, this is the approach which works for me. There are many others. It can work in other ways too. I find the openness and flow essential though, in my own creativity. Openness and flow involve a fair amount of trust, risk, and uncertainty. We get to know our materials well. We need to also get to know ourselves well. Because what we do comes from deep within us. It cannot come from anywhere else in the end. And life changes. It changes us. And the work of any artist evolves along with everything else.

geometric abstract colour design art jenny meehan jamartlondon british contemporary femaile artist symbolist graphic colourist contemporary abstraction experimental jenny meehan art for sale to buy prints affordable, jenny meehan abstract art print

Above is one example of my series “Signs of the Times”: Geometric abstraction experiments carried out using vector graphics software. It was a delight to try communicating simple phrases and emotions visually in an abstract form, making simple yet emblematic pieces of affordable art. Affordable because the artwork is printed via Redbubble.com, which is a print on demand site. Yes, it may not be very “fine arty” in the exclusive sense, but it’s no less fine art because it is accessible. I have grown tired of the whole idea of value and art. What I mean is, the connection (which is sometimes made…not by all) that if something is very expensive and out of reach it is somehow more well, “art”. The reality is that sites like Redbubble.com make the work of artists very accessible.

When people buy products on Redbubble.com, for example, they may be buying a mass produced item, BUT, and it’s a big BUT…The design and the artwork on the items is far from mass produced. It may be very available on Redbubble.com, BUT that doesn’t mean that lots and lots of it is going to be sold. Far from it…Thankfully the world is FULL of marvellous artists. So full, in fact, that most of us only occasionally sell now and again. So the items which people buy on Redbubble.com could quite easily be “one-offs”. Yes, there is no limiting of editions, (the traditional way of restricting prints executed in the traditional manner) but if someone is looking for a piece of art by an artist, they could consider buying something through a print-on-demand site. They may well be getting a totally unique object which ends up being a “one-off”, even though it is not marketed as such.

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/jenny+meehan+art-prints

The only thing it will not have, of course is a signature! And there is that point which the item will have never been actually touched by the artist…But that is the object itself. Art is not just about the production of objects and artefacts. “Common place” ones or “exclusive” ones…It makes no difference does it? The appearance of one of my own artworks through the avenue of Redbubble.com is a choice I have made most purposefully. It reflects my feelings and values. It’s part of how I operate, and not just for practical reasons. There are practical reasons. And I carefully selected Redbubble.com because of the quality of the products. They met my own requirements for forms that my artwork might be re-presented through. Yes, I will also have my paintings, and sometimes sell those, from time to time. And some numbered (but not limited edition) prints. But I have no time or desire to do things which distract me from my main focus of innovation, creation, experimentation, and development.

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/jenny+meehan+art-prints

Digital printing is a whole new world!

Part of my thinking in this kind of direction also leads me to an interest in using substrates which are generally utilised in distinctly “non-fine art” realms. Banners and advertising boards. Company promotional material product materials and equipment. Printing is now so wonderful! So much is possible which was not possible before! We see such much printed matter all around us. So many interesting surfaces and substrates. Do I feel that I somehow debase my art work by presenting it on materials used for advertising? Not one little bit. Why should I? This is the matter we meet in our daily life and it should be the material of fine art too. Why not? It’s a most definite form, and we associate it with one type of activity but that doesn’t mean it cannot be associated with another. The longevity possible now, and the quality of printing and inks has come such a long way. It’s amazing! Exciting! Fantastic! If I had more money available to spend, I would be printing my work on many more substrates than I use at present…if it suited the realisation aptly!

Maybe there is a kind of redemption going on for me in this desire? For our desires are so much influenced by what is around us.

“A successful advertising message transcends the audience perceptions of needs and wants. It creates an emotional appeal that subtly convinces the audience that the item being promoted will make a difference in their lives by either making them happy, giving them status, satisfying a desire or providing security.”

I like an emotional appeal to a viewer to come from the imagery I create. But because it is what it is. And it can be to them how they wish it to be. It’s always good when someone connects and it’s helpful to me if they decide they want to buy something. (Why not?) But to replace advertising with my own imagery and take over the territory, even in just a very small way…As a gesture maybe? It feels good to do this. Maybe I have moved myself from the position of passive object of the advertising to the active subject in some sense? I won’t be told what I desire…(I am sure I often am! Not advertising proof!) I will put my expression, the product of my own desire to create, on substrates/objects/forms associated in our minds with advertising.

It’s nothing new. But I need to think it through, so I am doing so.

On a slightly different, but allied tack…

There are various billboard art projects going on/which have happened. The materials and context are often used to great advantage. There are many themes developed by billboard artists, yet the majority address social issues. There’s a kind of takeover bid…using that advertising space (and so the same media). A kind of graffiti form, with just a bit more of an element of disguise maybe?! Billboard artist use many strategies, including appropriating well known ads to alter meanings, making objects which look and function like adverts, and graffiti over advertisement boards.

There’s often text and a clear concept, rather than something which is abstract expressionist though. I like my work to be in the public realm, but it doesn’t have to have the kind of extent of publication that something with a message would be targeted at. (Though wouldn’t the world look lovely if all the adverts were removed? I think we would probably feel all a lot better to be honest.)

So much public space is dominated by the media, corporate culture and advertising.

I’m very fond of the Guerrilla Girls work! (Guerrilla Girls is an anonymous group of feminist, female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world. The group formed in New York City in 1985 with the mission of bringing gender and racial inequality into focus within the greater arts community. The group employs culture jamming in the form of posters, books, billboards, and public appearances to expose discrimination and corruption. (wording from Tate website)

Mmm.

I do remember there being some project I came across years back which put artist’s work up on posters on the tube. Trouble was it did cost quite a lot of money to do so. Nice way to share your work if you can though. I remember coming across some and very much enjoying the fact that I wasn’t being exposed to an advert. Simply a piece of work with a name, which I could look into if I wanted to, but could just enjoy it’s presence in front of my eyes.

And look at this… What an interesting read! Coming from a slightly different angle…Very interesting on “special status”.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823130029.htm

Fine art in advertising can backfire
Date:
August 23, 2011
Source:
Boston College
Summary:
Fine art has been used for centuries to sell goods and ideas, but a new study finds artwork can lose its special status with consumers if it’s improperly used for product illustration.

“The researchers suggest the responses reflect how humans have evolved to recognize and appreciate art as a special category of expression.

“People have evolved to care about art,” said Hagtvedt. “It is something we have appreciated in all societies known to man, throughout history and pre-history. It is also a magnificent tool for marketers who rely on its communicative power in a thoughtful and honest manner, but those who use it thoughtlessly are not likely to impress anyone.””

Ah! So that’s one way which “fine art” might be utilized, from one direction. Many very successful artists are happy to have their art work used in this way, and often they are very well known ones. While others, far less well known and defensive of the “value” of their work (even though it generates little in the cash sense) may feel horror at the very thought.

It is the sense of being set apart from the objectives of advertising…This is important.

Does my practice of sometimes choosing to manifest my fine art practice on a PVC banner, or in a material form commonly used for advertising change it’s nature at all? No! Why should it? If I think something looks right printed on something commonly used for marketing material, then might I fear it somehow less fine art because of the substrate or the intended purpose of the item when it was manufactured? No, of course not. I can print what I want where ever I want. If it serves the vision and works aesthetically. If the conceptual aspect materialises in line with my intention, then I could print on your bottom and that would be just fine. (Well, maybe not. With consent! I’m sure it’s been done before anyway!).

So the movement of some expressions of my work, which is indeed part of a “fine art” practice, onto objects which are part of everyday life, is a lovely thing, and something I need not ever steer myself away from. Indeed, for many years, I have used table clothes with my digital imagery on them (dye-sublimation printed) in my domestic sphere…There’s been no need for a separation of myself from my art working/results of my art working materialised in every day life. It’s been a necessary combination! I live in an art gallery! It’s called my home. The relative status of such a situation is one thing. Just one thing. Nothing more.

That my home is also my workplace is both great and challenging. It doesn’t offer me the same sense of status (it appears) as someone who works in a separate place, but to be fair, I think that may be partly just an ignorance thing… People don’t recognise what happens in homes as work in the same way they do when activities take place in other buildings. And many people don’t see art working as work. Or indeed, don’t see anything as “work” unless it involves the generation of finances. (However, I have a vague memory that I have probably rambled on about that in some earlier post!)

When writing this artist’s journal, repetition is the name of the game. I’m a stuck record on some things!

I may be digressing a little.

The main thing is that it’s my prerogative to use whatever materials I want, regardless of how they may be normally perceived or used in our culture/society. If, for whatever varied reasons, the appearance of something generated by me on an object of lowly status, be it via Redbubble.com or on an advertising banner, cushion cover, whatever, seems less in value because of it’s form, then so be it. I think maybe just to be aware that artists make very careful choices about what they do, and why: this may help understanding a little. It’s all part of the same thing in the end. What we do. It’s an expression of us. Whoever we are and whatever we do. We all measure up things all the time. Cannot help doing so. But in no way, not one bit, is doing what I do in the way that I do it any kind of indication that I am valuing my artwork any less than someone who only sells to Kings and Queens for large amounts of money. The whole value thing is an illusion. I kind of enjoy breaking through it a little bit. That’s all.

And redemption. Buying back the territory a little bit. I have become so tired of all this advertising so much in my face all the time. Isn’t it tiresome? Isn’t it relentless? Persistent! It’s a pest!

Remember! When people buy products on Redbubble.com, for example, they may be buying a mass produced piece of merchandise, BUT, and it’s a big BUT…The design and the artwork on the items is far from mass produced. The art working itself is original and unique. It may be very available to everyone because it’s on Redbubble.com, (GOOD!) BUT that doesn’t mean that lots will be sold. There IS potential for something to become commonplace; No limited edition, HOWEVER in practice very few items will be sold which utilize the work of the individual artists in any large numbers. WHY? Thankfully the world is full of brilliant artists selling on Redbubble.com. I’m saying this because I think folk don’t think things through.

If you are an art collector and want to collect artists work, then please don’t shun any options you have to get the artwork which you want. It’s great to have an original piece of art, but also good to have examples of the artists you collect, across many of the mediums they use. Nowadays print is a medium which cannot be ignored and there are many artists who see through the “value” goldfish bowl and the marketing strategies which often get used by art dealers, etc and which dictate more than they should what art collectors feel is worth collecting. Realise the artificial constructs which are in operation. If you collect art, collect it because you love collecting the art you love to collect, and collect it in all forms, regardless of status or perceived value. The value is what it says to you and means to you.

London Downpour – Lyrically Abstract Painting – Jenny Meehan

We are a little past March and April now, but as I have been working on some editing of past writing “Some Kind of Narrative” my mind has taken me right back to the passage in my life, in 2012, when I started working with a therapist and started along the long road of recovery from much too much trauma! Trauma in early life, I discovered, has a habit of sticking with you, even when you would like to leave it behind. I continue in therapy. But looking back, I can appreciate all the work I have done, and I am reaping the rewards of it too.

And so my recollections dug up this painting for me. It was painted during 2012. I went into London twice a week for psychotherapy then. I met my therapist at the Guild of Psychotherapists, Nelson Square, which is not far from the South bank. I would very frequently walk along the river side and often in a state of numbness emotionally. It was exhausting at times. It was nice to sit down and gaze at the water.

And during 2012 there was plenty of water to gaze at, and coming from all directions!

“The 2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods are a series of weather events that affected parts of Great Britain and Ireland periodically during the course of 2012 and on through the winter into 2013. The beginning of 2012 saw much of the United Kingdom experiencing droughts and a heat wave in March. A series of low pressure systems steered by the jet stream brought the wettest April in 100 years, and flooding across Britain and Ireland. Continuing through May and leading to the wettest beginning to June in 150 years, with flooding and extreme events occurring periodically throughout Britain and parts of Atlantic Europe.”

The wettest April in 100 years!

The painting “London Downpour” was painted over several months. I always paint in a piecemeal fashion. Very rarely do I paint from start to finish. The painting was exhibited at The Strand Gallery in June 2013 and was brought by a collector, Roger Lewis. I was very glad of this. Not only for myself and him (for it’s always happy when a person finds a painting they love) but for the charity to which I donated a portion of the price, as part of the arrangement, (as suggested by the exhibition organisers). The painting is a good example of some of the main elements I was experimenting with at the time.

London Downpour- Jenny Meehan painting abstraction at The Strand Gallery London as part of "Lines" visual art exhibition, jenny meehan jamartlondon london downpour process led painting british contemporary female abstract expressionistic painting, claude venard style work of london southbank tate modern river thames,contemporary emerging artist exhibition london.

London Downpour- Jenny Meehan painting abstraction at The Strand Gallery London as part of “Lines” visual art exhibition. Lyrical and geometric abstraction painting southbank london from the imagination! painted in a process-led, intuitive guided fashion, external impressions from regular trips to London appear to have seeped into my subconscious!

London Down Pour process led painting contemporary female painter Jenny Meehan southwark southbank memory based abstraction lyrical solid liquid dialectic,contemporary london south west based visual artist woman painter

Floating…. Yes, this is a strand I continued with. Solids and liquids… yes, another. Water… yes, that too. Formal elements…experimenting with paint continued and developed; textural elements becoming even more important and refined over time.

Mostly resonating with those walks along the Thames; past Tate Modern. Which looks quite different now! The sooty feeling of London. Always felt it on your skin. A contrast of buildings and water.

The paint is acrylic, but I see carefully balanced with earths… So important, because otherwise acrylic paint can be far too loud for a restful painting.

artist talk school london downpour, jenny meehan artist talk at st joachim's catholic primary school 2014

jenny meehan artist talk at st joachim’s catholic primary school 2014 on painting techniques used in london downpour painting

I later gave a talk at a primary school and shared a little about how the painting was created. Funny being in a classroom again. I used to be a primary school teacher. I have lost quite a lot of weight since then!

Ah, wow! What a great read!

Anton Vidokle
Art without Market, Art without Education: Political Economy of Art

https://www.e-flux.com/journal/43/60205/art-without-market-art-without-education-political-economy-of-art/

Read it all… Here’s a little taster! (E-flux Journal #43 – Anton Vidokle – Art without Market, Art without Education: Political Economy of Art)

“But since his time, Warhol’s economic independence seems to have been misunderstood. The independence that came from his bridging of the bohemian sphere and the sphere of day-to-day commerce has been converted into a vast proliferation of so-called artistic practices that treat art as a profession. But art is not a profession. What does being professional actually mean under the current conditions of de-skilling in art? We should probably be less concerned with being full-time, art-school-trained, professional artists, writers, or curators—less concerned with measuring our artistic worth in these ways. Since most of us are not expected to perfect any specific techniques or master any craft—unlike athletes or classical musicians, for example—and given that we are no longer tied to working in specific mediums, perhaps it’s fine to be a part-time artist? After all, what is the expertise of a contemporary artist? Perhaps a certain type of passionate hobbyism, a committed amateurism, is okay: after all, we still live in a reality largely shaped by talented amateurs of the nineteenth century, like Thomas Edison and so many others. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to work in some other capacity in the arts, or in an entirely different field, and also to make art: sometimes this situation actually produces much more significant work than the “professional art” we see at art fairs and biennials. Ilya Kabakov supported himself for decades by being a children’s book illustrator. Marcel Duchamp worked as a librarian and later sold Brancusi’s work to make a living, while refusing to be dependent on sales of his own work.”

Quote from https://www.e-flux.com/journal/43/60205/art-without-market-art-without-education-political-economy-of-art/

Anton Vidokle is an editor of e-flux journal.

Kingston Artist’s Open Studios 2019 in June!

Kingston upon Thames in Surrey has a lovely hub of artists and each year we show our work, dotted around different venues in Kingston Upon Thames.

Open Studios in Kingston is a collaborative public exhibition whereby local artists and makers open their own homes or studios to the public and exhibit their work.

The Open Studio venues are organised into art trails in and around Kingston, featuring a wide range of 2D and 3D work – painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, glass, photography, digital art, textiles, paper art and mixed media.

This is a perfect opportunity to meet local creators, see their work, talk to them about their techniques and inspirations and buy affordable art direct from the artist.

British Lyrical Abstract Paintings: See http://www.jamartlondon.com/

2019 Open Studios in Kingston will be taking place on 8/9th and 15/16th June
from 11am to 5pm each day.

If you would like up to date information when it comes out, contact me via my website information form and I will send it to you asap!

http://www.jamartlondon.com/contact/4569980742

I plan to display a selection of recent work, both original paintings and prints. The price range of my original work is £80 to £600. Most of my original fine art sells for around the £200/£300 mark, making it an affordable buy for any art collector. I also offer a selection of prints for purchase for under £100.

There is a super video which was made last year which gives you an idea of what Kingston Artist’s Open Studios is all about!

Do come along!

“If funders truly believe in the humanistic value of the arts, they must not compel artists to merely adopt the practices of for-profit entrepreneurs. They must advocate for the value in what artists already do: bringing the artistic imagination more fully into everyday life and making creative expression a fundamental human right.They must resist the inexorable logic of the so-called free market, and advocate for the fundamental core value that there are things in this world that are not for profit – they are for something else, something more vast, meaningful and enduring, and that artists can lead the way.”

Quote from Andrew Horwitz

Had to pop that in here… So good. So true!

The downside is we live in a culture which fundamentally devalues artists. This is reflected in the fact that artists don’t get paid for exhibiting their work… rather they are used as a source of income generation, often through so called “opportunities” which involve hiring out space. There are exceptions to this, and what a jewel it is when they come up, but they are few and far between. The majority of the general public are not aware that artists are the ones who pay to show their work, in the main. (Yeah, I am taking about the “Fine Art” strand of creation, so bear this in mind!) They are not aware that the majority of artists probably have an income from their art working of around £5,000 a year (my informed guess, based on conversation and snippets of research done over a few years)….A DACS survey in 2010 found it around £10,000, but I think one needs to bear in mind that this is only one pool of artists, and they are likely to be the ones who have had work published here and there… (like me! but I am rather the under a £1,000 year department! lol!) and this is across the range of visual art, not “fine art” alone. Also bear in mind “Careers typically are sustained by a portfolio of other activities with 35% having a formal second job.” And also need to add other sources of income, ie spouse, partner, etc. So generally speaking, the majority of artists are supported in some way, but not by the the proceeds of their labours… This is important to recognise. But it is not convenient to recognise.

Yes, I am grateful I can do what I do… No taking for granted here, with me…I waited long enough to be able to do what I always dreamed of, but this doesn’t mean that I have money to invest in paying for the luxury of showing my work…and being an income source for others! I’ts my choice to do what I do, and I am glad I have that choice, but it does not make my creative work less work because it doesn’t reap financial rewards sufficient to make it profitable, or a source of life sustaining income.

This is not a rant, (well… OK, maybe it is!) but it needs to said to increase awareness. If the general public, who are able to and so inclined, wish to support artists and are more aware of how much that support is needed and valued, then this is all well and good. Even if they don’t, I still think awareness is a good thing. The reason I think it is important is that artists are often treated as though they operate as businesses when in reality they just don’t. Often by businesses…not so incidentally! Well, yes, there are some, of course, but some of us don’t want to be, don’t choose to be, or don’t want to change our direction/work by attempting to be… This art working matter is a different matter from income generation, and without the financial aspect, it is still a worth while, valuable, and a valid contribution to the world; the life sustaining dimension of art should not be underestimated… It may not be linked with finance in the way many other activities are but that does not make it any less purposeful. Or significant.

However, this doesn’t mean that we don’t need finance, and that we are not going to price our work in such a way that it helps fund our creative project, or that

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design? If so, then take a look at my website jamartlondon.com, for a start.

DACS do offer a good reduction in fees for registered charities. Occasionally it may be possible for slightly reduced rates to be negotiated in other circumstances.

To find out more about how you can arrange to use my imagery, see here:

https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works/frequently-asked-questions#FAQ122

British Lyrical Abstract Paintings: See http://www.jamartlondon.com/

A Poem of Panes

It was only when they shattered
I felt the panes of glass between the window frame.
Those who knew me
could not see through my eyes.

I am aware of the surface, and of my own sinking.

I set my face forward,
but cannot progress.

They call my brother’s head injury “the invisible disability”.

The impact of one, booted, blow
also
unseen

in me.

Jenny Meehan 2014

The artwork I produce often relates to my psychological and emotional recovery journey, which is related to past trauma. In this instance, the full realisation of the impact of my brother’s traumatic brain injury on his personality and functioning, our relationship, and of its effect on my own mental capacity, made several years of my life exceptionally difficult. A major part of the difficulty was my inability to express what I was going through. Though able to function through the depression and anxiety (sometimes “just about”) , my awareness was that of being disabled internally, due to the shattering of my sense of self, and the isolation I felt. This is something I will never forget . Art can be a wonderful and powerful communicator of a person’s journey.

I’m working through my own traumas, and very grateful to be able to do so. There is an image for the above poem, but it’s way back in the archives and I’m a bit pressed for time today, but I can dig it up in the future and I will post it. It is the case that it is far easier for me to create visual art and write than it is to verbally speak about my own experiences. I am sure this is very true for a large number of people. While I can talk to a certain extent, it is far easier not to. I do have an ongoing interest in trauma and recovery which just seems to continue and certainly stretches far beyond my own experience.

I think it’s brilliant that mental health is more in the spotlight than it has been previously and there certainly is less stigma about it. Here is an excellent read below. I have just included a short extract here, but do follow the link to read the whole article.

“For John Launer, GP educator and narrative medicine pioneer, medically unexplained symptoms are better understood as ‘medically unexplored stories’. Most GPs, especially those who work in deprived areas, bare witness every day to their patients’ accounts of trauma; including physical abuse and neglect; parents who were, because of alcoholism, drug abuse or mental illness unable to care for their own children in their earliest years; stories of material and emotional deprivation, abandonment and loss, domestic violence, crime and imprisonment and with shocking frequency, child abuse. Trauma begets trauma so that people rendered vulnerable by trauma in childhood are very frequently victims of violence and abuse in later life. Survivors of trauma use drugs and alcohol to cope with the aftermath, then find themselves involved with crime which leads to imprisonment and homelessness and further cycles of alienation and despair.

People whose work does not involved repeated encounters with survivors of trauma frequently either cannot believe, or refuse to believe how common it is. For years it’s been assumed that people invented stories of trauma to excuse bad behaviour. The medical profession bears a lot of responsibility for this, largely ignoring the psychological consequences of rape until the last 30 years.”

We need to talk about trauma

Long Stream of Paintings

And here lies a long stream of paintings… Or should I say, pieces of paintings, fragments of paintings, parts of paintings?

I take a lot of photographs as I work. It is a good way of considering the material qualities of the paintings. Something about isolating a section in a frame makes the eye think about it differently. It may become the beginning of something new, but if it does not, this is of no consequence. The process of taking images isn’t in order to achieve anything other than looking again and seeing again, and maybe being introduced to the composition within the composition, which I didn’t know was there! It enables me to meditate further on the paint. This may sound unusual for someone who is not a painter, but for a painter, meditating on the paint is very helpful indeed!

British Lyrical Abstract Paintings: See http://www.jamartlondon.com/

jenny meehan jamartlondon lyrical abstract expressionistic paintings in progress

Breaking my paintings into fragments by taking the images… It is a way of looking closely at them… but also interesting that I create in such a piecemeal way these paintings, pulling the work together into a whole, and then insist on breaking them up again afterwards, in one kind of way, at least!

British Lyrical Abstract Paintings: See http://www.jamartlondon.com/

Into the Studio Tent for 2019!

jenny meehan jamartlondon abstract expressionist lyrical textural colorist paintings

jenny meehan jamartlondon lyrical abstract expressionistic paintings in progress

Yes! As the weather warms and I begin to tidy up the mess, so the studio tent becomes a place of artistic production!

Feeling GREAT!

Another good read…

One of my keen interests … I guess that’s what comes of having an exceptionally high ACE score myself! Lol! This is a great read, and very heartening! I have come a long way myself, but it’s a rough road to travel on, and exceptionally challenging at times! All worth while work though.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-last-best-cure/201508/8-ways-people-recover-post-childhood-adversity-syndrome

Jenny Meehan Contemporary British Female Artist

(Just in case you were not sure about that!!!! )

My original artwork has two main strands: Lyrical Abstraction, painterly, fluid, with a lot of focus on light, how it bounces off the surface, textures and finishes, and Geometric Ab

July 25, 2020

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility: Face Masks by Jenny Meehan

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

My Jenny Meehan/Jennyjimjams Redbubble Shop is here:

I add designs to my Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing Face Mask Collection every few weeks, so do take a look at the latest new designs!

I also have many patterned Reusable Face Mask designs on my Redbubble profile too, so take a look at those too!

If you are here to look at a wider overview of my Fine Art, then scroll on down to the various past posts to get a wider overview. The MENU tab shows the four pages of this journal, two of which are dedicated to my knee replacement journey and the other two contact pages.

Jenny Meehan: Deaf/deaf Masks Communication Prompt Aids

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

Deaf Awareness and Disability Visibility; Face Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing/Lipreading – Deaf Communicator Masks; An Alternative to Clear Masks -A Useful tool for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing when Shopping etc.

If you are not interested in my thoughts on mass masking, skip this part and shimmy down to see some of my deaf/Deaf hard of hearing, hearing loss designs. I create a few more each week, so there are new ones appearing all the time. This blog shows only a selection.

Please send me feedback if you find the work I have done with creating my designs for Deaf/deaf people helpful. I have also created more broader communication prompts, which could be useful for other special needs or people with different disabilities.

Some Examples of Masks for Deaf/deaf/Lipreaders/Hard of Hearing/Special Needs and Hidden Disabilities

Disability Awareness and Disability Visibility/Communication Prompt Face Masks Designed by Jenny Meehan Summer 2020 of Coronavirus Pandemic

Alternatives to Clear Face Masks /Transparent Window Masks /Lipreading Face Masks for Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing People.

Useful for shopping etc and other situations where you are out and about with hearing people who need more educating and awareness!

Hopefully Communication Prompt/Disability Visibility Face Masks can be a useful tool for us all!

I’ve created a large collection of different communication prompt/deaf awareness reusable face coverings. Take a look at the whole collection here:

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lip Readers, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to CoronaVirus Pandemic; Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreading Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Alternatives to Clear Window Mask in Coronavirus Pandemic

Visibility Masks – Deaf Awareness – Communicator Mask Alternatives; Useful Education and Awareness Raising Reusable Face Coverings by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

if speaking with people who rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound. Some may ask you, either verbally or in writing, to remove a covering to help with communication

The link which takes you to view ALL my designs, and not just the Deaf, deaf, Lipreaders, Hard of Hearing Collection of Face Masks, and matching accessories, badges, etc is here:

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July 16, 2020

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Alabaster Loving; A Poem in Memory of my Mother by Jenny Meehan

Putting “Keim Galaxies” Series of artworks up on redbubble.com at the moment!

General Helpful Info on buying prints, soft furnishings, home decor and other merchandise for the home from redbubble.com

Art Image Licensing – How to use an image created by Jenny Meehan

Exhibitions and Projects I’m involved in during 2020

Dwell Time Launch on 15th July

“Double Elephant Print Workshop” Interactive Animation Project

All in the Mind Festival 2020

Lipreaders D/deaf/Hard of Hearing/Hearing Loss/Special Needs

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?

Twitter: jennymeehan@jennymeehanart

Instagram!

Follow Jenny Meehan! British Contemporary Artist’s Online Art Journal. Artist’s Blog/Art Journal. Posts published every two months.

Who is Jenny Meehan? (Well… I’m still trying to work that one out…)

Individual or Small Group Daytime Art Tuition with Jenny Meehan

Why read “Jenny Meehan – Contemporary Artist’s Journal: The Artist’s Meandering Discourses – poetry – painting – spirituality (mostly!)?

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May 5, 2020

Screenshots of some Recent Galaxies!

Each Galaxy started with a bucket of Keim Mineral Paint! I then took the initial image and worked my magic digitally!

Buy the “Keim Galaxies” as printed products on the print-on-demand website “Redbubble.com”

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over 50 Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Thoughts on Clear Facemasks, See-Through Masks, Window Masks for Deaf/deaf Hard of Hearing + Lipreading

About Jenny Meehan

Sculpture at Morley College

Ah, I have meandered.

Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Lipreaders, + Face Masks

and Matching Accessories, including Bags, Notebooks, Badges and Clothing!

Featured Collection for 2020 due to Corona Virus Pandemic are over Inclusive Designs by Jenny Meehan

Link direct to the whole collection here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop?artistUserName=jennyjimjams&asc=u&collections=1511687&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=relevant

Clear Facemasks, Window Masks, Transparent Masks, See-Through Masks are all useful at this time, yet it is also important that different preferences and needs are met.

“Keim Galaxies” Available to Buy on Redbubble.com

Jenny Meehan: How to buy my art/design online safely, easily, and affordably.

Navigating the redbubble.com website to locate art/design by Jenny Meehan