Featured Artist Judy Jacobs

Painter Judy Jacobs delights her audience with colorful and charming abstracts that explore the boundaries of creativity. See more by visiting her website.

 

 

I’m Judy “JJ” Jacobs, a mainly self-taught, long-time painter from Northern California. Over the years, I’ve worked with a variety of mediums and explored many subjects before settling on abstract expressions.

 

 

In 2011, I left a lucrative career in commercial real estate development to become a full-time artist. Everyone thought I was crazy. I immediately started selling my work from a small, rented studio in downtown Sacramento and made a decent living marketing and selling my work online and to collectors, consultants, and designers.

 

 

After nearly six years, I realized I was spending more time at a computer than at an easel. I knew something had to change. Making art had become another job, and it started to look forced and boring. I was losing my enthusiasm and made excuses not to go into the studio. Burned out creatively, I closed the downtown location and stopped painting for nearly three years.

 

 

Once the stress of the Covid lockdown began, I started painting in blank journals. I needed to play, so I drew with my non-dominant hand, used gouache and pastels, and made collages and mixed media work. Next, I tried painting abstract landscapes, seascapes, and imaginary still life compositions with oil paint. It was getting easier, but I wasn’t having much fun.

 

 

One day I needed to get out, so I drove to a nearby park. I walked around the duck pond, admiring the spectacular water lilies and lotus plants. I was both inspired and captivated. After taking dozens of photos, I rushed home to paint. The resulting pond series kickstarted my muse. I painted nearly 40 small oil paintings in a matter of weeks. These were mostly on paper, with a couple of commission pieces on larger-sized paper and canvas.

 

 

Last year, I decided to rebrand myself and created a new website, Coming Abstractions, that combines my current art with a blog. The site is free to subscribe, to get photos of new art, learn about classes, events, and more.

 

 

This January, I participated in a 20 Paintings in 20 Days Challenge and painted wonky chairs, using only two complementary colors, white and black. The challenge helped me get back to basics, and working with a limited palette helped me expand my own personal style.

 

 

Today, I’m focusing on making simple still life tabletops in acrylics and oils. My favorite vessels are ordinary containers like vases, bowls, cups, plates, etc. Working from imagination, I arrange them into simple and naive tablescapes, adding a few flowers, food items, and wayward animals just for fun.

 

 

My art career has been a long, roundabout journey, but I’m creatively re-energized and am thrilled to be painting full-time again!!

 

Judy Jacobs invites you to follow on Facebook, Instagram  and Coming Abstractions Instagram.

 

 

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