Featured Artist Jennifer Beaudet

Washington D.C. based oil painter Jennifer Lynn Beaudet uses interpretive color and dynamic brushwork to convey a sense of emotion and possibility. Enjoy more of her work by visiting her website.

 

 

Color is exciting to me in a painting. It’s not until I find the right color interactions that the painting takes off.

 

 

The exploration of color in a painting is quite moving and empowering. There is no right or wrong answer. It’s really about what I see. Sometimes I go for a run or walk in nature to open up my senses before I paint.

 

 

I love vibrant color but I think the realism comes when I find the right balance—a push and pull until the hues harmonize convincingly. I really look. Sometimes so deeply that I see something totally unexpected. I think that’s where the magic happens for me.

 

 

Right now, I’m slightly obsessed with magenta. And I search for it. I love that it can dance between cool and warm, depending on how it interacts with its surroundings.

 

 

You wouldn’t expect it on my son’s face and hair. I think it brings out his features while contrasting against a calm ocean in a mellow and interesting way.

 

 

My brushwork and color choices go hand in hand—they are not independent of one another. Sometimes my brush will take a color in a direction that surprises me. It’s all part of the exploration and creative process. I get to share a bit of my process when I leave those marks.

 

 

Figures and portraits feel very natural and organic for me to paint. I apply broad and loose brushstrokes of color and then refine where I need, constantly correcting and adjusting as I go. I think this process keeps my style loose.

 

 

Oil paint is satisfyingly tactile and I can be expressive with it depending on my mood and how I feel about my subject.

 

 

When I painted “Start at Noyes” I was in the midst of caring for my child who was undergoing chemo. We were pushed to our limits as a family and coming out strong. Looking back, I think that’s why there is so much energy, furor and strength conveyed. The brushwork was purposeful. It’s what I needed at the time and how I wanted to portray the children in the scene –with hope, courage, and strength.

 

 

While I do work from life at times, most of my work comes from photographic reference that I capture myself.

 

 

I am particular about the images I choose so it’s part of the process that frustrates me at times. While I do gravitate toward relatable subjects, I’m not interested in pictures that are too posed or classic. I look for imagery that evokes emotion and means something.

 

 

The right lighting and atmosphere will give extra emphasis to that mood and draw you in to find out more. I think that’s what we all want—to know more about ourselves and what’s important to us.

 

Artist Jennifer Beaudet invites you to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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