Recently I was accepted for inclusion on the Artlyst website, which is a great site with lots of very interesting articles and lots of exciting artists to discover. I love looking at other people’s work, it’s so amazing the creativity you can find. I’m very pleased to be included on Artlyst. See:
http://www.artlyst.com/Jenny.Meehan
I have also finally got around to sorting a profile out on deviantart.com, see the deviant art link below:
http://jennymeehan.deviantart.com/gallery/
All this internet stuff takes time, but it is good for filling up the occasional moment here and there and sometimes reaps a reward.
I did a little bit of a one-to-one teaching painting session with a neighbour recently which I enjoyed and it makes me think I should use my teaching experience alongside the painting. Though I don’t have a Fine Art degree, which is the case with many painting tutors, I have accumulated a fair body of knowledge over the last seven years with respect to art history and theory, and I have a sound knowledge of painting in oils and acrylics, which while this wouldn’t be mind-blowing for an experienced painter, would give a great foundation to a relative beginner. Because I have been fortunate enough to be able to participate in various painting courses as part of the Short Course Programme at West Dean, I also have seen some excellent examples of art/craft tuition, and know that its something which I have the motivation to develop myself. Apart from one final weekend course at West Dean next year, I now reluctantly have to accept that financially this option for continuing development from other practitioners is now beyond my reach. Such are the rising costs of living, and the demands of an ever-growing family.
However, maybe if I did a little bit of tuition from time to time, I could help myself in this respect? Maybe try out a workshop style type painting session and see what happens? Draw out some focused teaching points from issues which arise naturally form a small group or alternatively maybe try out something with a scheme of work? I do need to generate some money, and I have teaching experience I can draw on. I have also learnt a lot over the last few years through the experimental approach I have taken with my own painting. So my lack of Fine Art degree need not be a hindrance. Teaching people to paint and/or draw, (and it is a skill, a craft) in my opinion, is giving them the tools to say what they want in a way which is not only meaningful to them, but which actually conveys a shared experience which the viewer can access in a very precise and clearly defined way. It is a spiritual and emotional thing, but with a physical reality which takes time and effort to establish. The painting/drawing becomes an avenue, an entrance, into an experience, and as the guide, the artist needs to know how to direct the eye and heart of the viewer in a certain way. There is nothing “arty” about this. It is nuts and bolts. You don’t doubt that the person who makes your front door will know the technical skills of his trade, and yet with painting, (maybe because emotion and thought are personal), people can get so bound up in the personal that the exercise of critical judgement and evaluating if something is working or not easily gets lost.
I find I am constantly having to distance myself from my painting. It is a very peculiar thing, but the more I distance myself the more I learn, the more analytical I can be, and yet, the more intimate I feel with my paintings. The more they emotionally resound, the more necessary it is for me to take a step back. The more I allow myself to become lost in the process, the more necessary it is to seek a distant view, a kind of map; an imaginative assessment maybe, of what is actually formally and physically going on.
Alongside the actual analytical/practical skills development, it is always important to also hold onto a person centred approach, as is very much as is the case in ANY teaching. It is useful having a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in this respect. I haven’t forgotten Vygotsky’s theory of proximal development (How COULD you forget a theory like that!) This cannot always be taken for granted…Not all painters who teach have a person centred approach, as countless people who have shared their own (rather traumatic!) experience with me could tell you, and I include myself in that, (though thankfully I can say that 95% of my experience of painters/artists who teach has been excellent). Painting is a creative and constructive action. A vulnerable process. A means of empowerment and a force of expression which can bring a lot of good to a person, and a lot of pleasure, as well as the pain of struggle, which is part of all life. So, as I hold these beliefs, (must be strongly, because I keep going on about them all the time!) then I hope that maybe by branching out in the direction of combining teaching skills with creativity, particularly in the form of painting, I can open some doors, at least, to other people who might like to experiment in this way themselves. I quite like the idea of doing some women only painting/drawing tuition. Most of the courses I have participated in have consisted mainly of women anyway, apart from the blacksmithing and woodcarving. So, when I do start this initiative up, it will be women/female small group or individual painting/drawing tuition.
Very pleased to find out that one of my paintings has been selected for the Three Rivers/Artistsmeet Open Art Exhibition at Artistsmeet in Rickmansworth. We took a trip to see the new Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail today when we dropped off the painting, and walked through the woods in the pouring rain. There are some lovely carved sculptures, my favourite being the tv and chair, complete with remote control, which no one can hog, because it is part of the armchair.
http://www.facebook.com/OxheyWoodsSculptureTrail
Another nice part of the day was seeing the Folk Art Papercuts by Suzy Taylor at Artistsmeet and also “The Bog Standard Gallery” created by Melanie Boda. The smallest gallery ever, with some interesting examples of toilet signs! The irony being that after a look within (you cannot say “around” because there is nowhere to walk!) fifteen minutes later (during our wanderings around Rickmansworth), myself, husband and children hunted in vain for a toilet we could do some serious business in, without success. We could have walked back to Artistsmeet I guess, and used the loos there, but we were hunting for some public toilets in Rickmansworth, and saw no toilet signs anywhere, (even though there were the icons marked on my Streetmap print out). So it seems that Rickmansworth is a place with many many toilet signs but not many toilets!
The painting selected for the Three Rivers/Artistsmeet Exhibition is “Whatever the Weather” which is very apt for the current time.
This is an interesting interview with the artist Kristine Moran:
How to Support Jenny Meehan
If you like my art working and would like to support me you can!
Just put
in your browser and follow instructions. There’s no option for me to thank you via the PayPal Me process but do contact me via contact form and let me know if you have gifted me so I can thank you.
You can buy my original paintings directly from me personally.
Just contact me via the contact form. Price range is between £250 and £400.
Sometimes they are offered for sale during exhibitions too. Normally its more expensive to buy them this way, (though not always). Some organisations enable me to price my work in an accessible way due to the way they operate, but if a submission fee is required I obviously have to factor it in.
I dislike this system, but art exhibitions are used to generate funds for different organisations and charging artists to submit artwork (to submit… Even if not accepted!) is one way this is done. There are also other costs incurred by the artist in supplying the artwork for exhibition. So artists artworks sold during an exhibition are frequently more expensive for an art collector to purchase. It is often preferable to approach an artist directly and view work by arrangement in person.
If you are thinking of buying one of my original paintings I can arrange a viewing for you. If you are looking for something specific in terms of colour and/or style, just let me know because I have many more paintings than I am able to display online. I can send you further information on the process of buying artwork directly from me if you would find that helpful. I appreciate that it is unfamiliar ground for many people.
Also available via redbubble, the well known print on demand marketplace, you can buy unsigned prints on many substrates. This is an easy and convenient way to purchase my art online.
Take a look here:
It’s also a very good place to get a feel for quite a big strand of my creative artworking. Any problems locating what you want, feel free to contact me via the contact page on this Art Journal/ Artist Blog.
I have TWO Redbubble Artist portfolios! The “jennyjimjams” one has most artwork on it at the time of writing.
My two Redbubble Artist portfolios are;
I have mostly the abstract, flat colour geometrical art in Redbubble as it makes nice prints. I selected work for that platform in order to help my work become more accessible. There’s also a lot of surface pattern designs. I post more of those on my
Artist profile. I find creating patterns very therapeutic!
The main style of my original painting is Lyrical Abstraction/Abstract Expressionism. I also enjoy working with black and white photography tending towards pictorialism. I frequently use collage and digital collage.
Copyright and Licensing Digital Images Information – Jenny Meehan
Copyright in all images by Jenny Meehan is held by the artist.
Permission must be sought in advance for the reproduction, copying or any other use of any images by Jenny Meehan. Individuals or businesses seeking licenses or permission to use, copy or reproduce any image by Jenny Meehan should, in the first instance, contact Jenny Meehan.
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.
DACS always make an initial proposal for image licensing fees in line with the industry standard. Personally, I am open to negotiation. So contact me in the first instance so we can discuss your requirements, project, and budget. The Designer and Artists Copyright Society will administrate accordingly.
It is I, the artist, who determines the final licensing fee, and there are often projects, charitable organisations, people and smaller ventures with which I am particularly keen to work with because of a shared vision. I appreciate budgets can be restrictive. While image licensing fees for my art images will broadly based on the industry standard, this is a guide amount, and can vary subject to circumstances.
The administration for organising an image licence is straightforward for both parties, and is done through the Design and Artist Copyright Society. They provide you with the licence paperwork and I supply you with the image.
Jenny Meehan - Art Journal 