Paintings of France, Italy and Beyond http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog Jennifer Young; Plein Air & Studio Landscapes of Europe & the American South Fri, 11 May 2012 18:11:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://feeds.feedburner.com/jenniferyoung/uNkc?format=skin Venice Gondolas W.I.P http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jenniferyoung/uNkc/~3/Z80YJQsFSYM/ http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/11/venice-gondolas-w-i-p/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 18:07:07 +0000 jennifereyoung http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/11/venice-gondolas-w-i-p/ Just a quick post to share what’s on the easel right now. I have really been wanting to get back into my Venice work lately, but given how complicated these paintings can be, and how complicated my life has been, I have kind of shied away from the idea. I feel pretty rusty, so since Venice is pretty much all architecture, I thought I’d make it easy on myself and keep the size fairly small (16 x 20″) and the composition fairly simple. Here’s the compositional sketch:

20120511-140246.jpg
I’m also testing out blogging via my iPhone Wordpress app, so if this post looks strange or different, that’s why.

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
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Subscribe to my newsletter
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Contact Me! ]]> Just a quick post to share what’s on the easel right now. I have really been wanting to get back into my Venice work lately, but given how complicated these paintings can be, and how complicated my life has been, I have kind of shied away from the idea. I feel pretty rusty, so since Venice is pretty much all architecture, I thought I’d make it easy on myself and keep the size fairly small (16 x 20″) and the composition fairly simple. Here’s the compositional sketch:

20120511-140246.jpg
I’m also testing out blogging via my iPhone Wordpress app, so if this post looks strange or different, that’s why.

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
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Contact Me! ]]> http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/11/venice-gondolas-w-i-p/feed/ 0 http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/11/venice-gondolas-w-i-p/ Southern France W.I.P. resurrected http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jenniferyoung/uNkc/~3/Y8Lx17raa14/ http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/04/southern-france-w-i-p-resurrected/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 15:01:19 +0000 jennifereyoung http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/?p=535 It has been 4 months since my last confession post. I realize my blogging has been extremely spotty over the past year or so, and I think it is time to ‘fess up about the reason for my silence before getting to my work-in-progress. Longtime readers may recall my mention before of, in the midst of being a new mother, my struggle with some health issues. Well it got worse before it started getting better, and these two major life challenges has meant the painting has had to take a back seat. In a nutshell, I developed an autoimmune condition after the birth of my L.O., and one of the main (and most debilitating) symptoms has been chronic insomnia. Now you’d think that with insomnia I might as well get up and out to the studio and do some painting! But it hasn’t worked out that way because along with the insomnia came some pretty significant muscle pain and (not surprisingly) extreme fatigue.

Before motherhood, I was able to maintain a fairly steady process of work and productivity. Certainly some days were more productive than others, but overall I took my painting life seriously and showed up to work whether “the inspiration hit” or not. I still take my painting life seriously, but my recent life and health changes have thrown me for a loop. I have seen some improvement lately, so I remain optimistic that I can get this all sorted out. But it seems to be two steps forward and one step back.

Mundane tasks are manageable, but creative work simply does not happen for me on 3-4 hours (or less) of sleep for months on end; particularly when I am also taking care of a toddler. Contrary to what a lot of people think, painting is as much an intellectual process as it is an emotional one (perhaps even moreso) and it requires a lot of brain power, focus, and concentration. With plein air painting, where the concerted effort is even more heightened, there is the added need for a good deal of phyical stamina as well. So if you happen to see me post a plein air painting here on the blog, you can assume that I must’ve been blessed with the miracle of a few good night’s sleep beforehand! Okay, so enough of the old lady talk.

This painting, the very beginnings of which I wrote about in my prior post, in (ahem!) late December, is finished. Quite a bit different from the plein air study I based this on, but the study was still a good reference for the light, and helped bring back the experience of being there. Click on the image for more info:

Landscape painting of southern France by Jennifer Young

“Path to St. Germain du Bel Air”, oil on linen, 24×30″

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> It has been 4 months since my last confession post. I realize my blogging has been extremely spotty over the past year or so, and I think it is time to ‘fess up about the reason for my silence before getting to my work-in-progress. Longtime readers may recall my mention before of, in the midst of being a new mother, my struggle with some health issues. Well it got worse before it started getting better, and these two major life challenges has meant the painting has had to take a back seat. In a nutshell, I developed an autoimmune condition after the birth of my L.O., and one of the main (and most debilitating) symptoms has been chronic insomnia. Now you’d think that with insomnia I might as well get up and out to the studio and do some painting! But it hasn’t worked out that way because along with the insomnia came some pretty significant muscle pain and (not surprisingly) extreme fatigue.

Before motherhood, I was able to maintain a fairly steady process of work and productivity. Certainly some days were more productive than others, but overall I took my painting life seriously and showed up to work whether “the inspiration hit” or not. I still take my painting life seriously, but my recent life and health changes have thrown me for a loop. I have seen some improvement lately, so I remain optimistic that I can get this all sorted out. But it seems to be two steps forward and one step back.

Mundane tasks are manageable, but creative work simply does not happen for me on 3-4 hours (or less) of sleep for months on end; particularly when I am also taking care of a toddler. Contrary to what a lot of people think, painting is as much an intellectual process as it is an emotional one (perhaps even moreso) and it requires a lot of brain power, focus, and concentration. With plein air painting, where the concerted effort is even more heightened, there is the added need for a good deal of phyical stamina as well. So if you happen to see me post a plein air painting here on the blog, you can assume that I must’ve been blessed with the miracle of a few good night’s sleep beforehand! Okay, so enough of the old lady talk.

This painting, the very beginnings of which I wrote about in my prior post, in (ahem!) late December, is finished. Quite a bit different from the plein air study I based this on, but the study was still a good reference for the light, and helped bring back the experience of being there. Click on the image for more info:

Landscape painting of southern France by Jennifer Young

“Path to St. Germain du Bel Air”, oil on linen, 24×30″

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
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Contact Me! ]]> http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/04/southern-france-w-i-p-resurrected/feed/ 7 http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2012/05/04/southern-france-w-i-p-resurrected/ From study to studio (work in progress) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jenniferyoung/uNkc/~3/YkCbGuUUI4Y/ http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/28/from-study-to-studio-work-in-progress/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:44:56 +0000 jennifereyoung http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/?p=505 I feel like it has been ages since I have painted en plein air. Perhaps I feel this way because it is true! But while time, obligation, and health have kept my plein air painting at bay lately, I still think about it very much (not without a lot of longing) and I find myself digging out what plein air pieces I still have and meditating on them.

It seems to me that even the weakest studies contain valuable information. Studio works have their place and purpose, and (the good ones) posess a grandeur that is harder to acheive en plein air. But there is a quality about the plein air paintings that continues to distinguish them in my heart and mind as something very special. As incomplete and insufficient as some of them are, they are infused with life and an immediacy that I still find hard to match in the studio. Still, given my life situation at the moment, I shall have to try.

One day recently when I was feeling particularly “homesick” for plein air painting, I came across this little piece that I painted during my trip to the Dordogne. It was tucked away in a stack of unfinished studies that I have not looked at in a long time:

 St. Germain de Bel Air plein air painting by Jennifer Young

I put it away mainly because I ran out of time to finish it on site, and I really haven’t thought much about it since. It doesn’t have the wildflowers that were in the field, the middle distance is unresolved, and it is lacking contrast in the row of nearby trees, as well as some other detail. But what it does have is some really good information about the light, as well as a nice loose, light touch that reflects the breeziness of that morning in early summer. And as I looked at it with new eyes, I started to think about new possibilities, and how I might translate the information in this scene to a larger studio canvas.

The location was near a public park just on the outskirts of a little village in France called St. Germain de Bel Air. There were these enormously tall trees that I believe were poplars. They always remind me of Monet because he painted a series of these trees in the countryside near Giverny. I was attracted to the scene not only because of the trees, but because of the way they lined the simple country path that led to the village, and the shadows they cast in great diagonals across the picture plane.

We will see how it goes, but here is my (very) preliminary layout on a 24×30″ canvas.

French landscape painting work in progress by Jennifer Young

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> I feel like it has been ages since I have painted en plein air. Perhaps I feel this way because it is true! But while time, obligation, and health have kept my plein air painting at bay lately, I still think about it very much (not without a lot of longing) and I find myself digging out what plein air pieces I still have and meditating on them.

It seems to me that even the weakest studies contain valuable information. Studio works have their place and purpose, and (the good ones) posess a grandeur that is harder to acheive en plein air. But there is a quality about the plein air paintings that continues to distinguish them in my heart and mind as something very special. As incomplete and insufficient as some of them are, they are infused with life and an immediacy that I still find hard to match in the studio. Still, given my life situation at the moment, I shall have to try.

One day recently when I was feeling particularly “homesick” for plein air painting, I came across this little piece that I painted during my trip to the Dordogne. It was tucked away in a stack of unfinished studies that I have not looked at in a long time:

 St. Germain de Bel Air plein air painting by Jennifer Young

I put it away mainly because I ran out of time to finish it on site, and I really haven’t thought much about it since. It doesn’t have the wildflowers that were in the field, the middle distance is unresolved, and it is lacking contrast in the row of nearby trees, as well as some other detail. But what it does have is some really good information about the light, as well as a nice loose, light touch that reflects the breeziness of that morning in early summer. And as I looked at it with new eyes, I started to think about new possibilities, and how I might translate the information in this scene to a larger studio canvas.

The location was near a public park just on the outskirts of a little village in France called St. Germain de Bel Air. There were these enormously tall trees that I believe were poplars. They always remind me of Monet because he painted a series of these trees in the countryside near Giverny. I was attracted to the scene not only because of the trees, but because of the way they lined the simple country path that led to the village, and the shadows they cast in great diagonals across the picture plane.

We will see how it goes, but here is my (very) preliminary layout on a 24×30″ canvas.

French landscape painting work in progress by Jennifer Young

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
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Contact Me! ]]> http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/28/from-study-to-studio-work-in-progress/feed/ 1 http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/28/from-study-to-studio-work-in-progress/ Season’s Greetings http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jenniferyoung/uNkc/~3/yGgs5GRyuzM/ http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/19/seasons-greetings/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:53:18 +0000 jennifereyoung http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/?p=496 It’s hard to believe that in just a few days’ time, Christmas will be upon us, and we will shortly after ring in a new year. I need only look at the cherubic face of my daughter,  a near-18 month old very active toddler,  to find truth in the saying “time flies”. Her progress has been great and swift. I can’t say the same for my painting or my blog this year, but that is life.

I have (thankfully) been busy with some commissioned work this fall and winter, so the studio isn’t completely covered in cobwebs. But time has been tight and consequently the blogging has suffered (as it is plain to see). So to the readers who are still with me, I feel like I should offer my apologies.

I can sometimes feel a little sad when I reflect on it, because up until the last year or two I had devoted quite a bit of time to this blog, trying to find things thoughtful or useful or interesting to post that could actually help or inspire someone else. There have been times this year when I stumble upon old blog posts and marvel at their length and how indepth some of them were. I find myself thinking, “Geez, I had a lot of time.” Time, now, is an elusive stranger, and I have struggled these last twelve months or so to wrangle it, without, I’m afraid, much success.

The truth of the matter is, that along with motherhood (which, while incredibly rich and rewarding,  still feels very much like a new shoe in need of breaking in) I am also dealing with some health issues. While not immenently  life-threatening, they are nonetheless, significant enough and  have really thrown a wrench in my ability to wear multiple hats. So when push comes to shove and I only have a finite amount of energy to devote to either art or motherhood, motherhood wins hands-down (and rightfully so).

I have to admit, I am not really a heart-on-the-sleeve kind of person and I don’t go much for “diary-entry” type posts on my blog. It’s supposed to be an art blog, after all, right? I also learned in my ”professional artist” training that if you want to be successful, you must present yourself that way. So with that intention, my plan has always been to keep things mostly on a professional level here. But as John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while  you are busy making other plans.”  And I just felt that it is better to tell it like it is rather than to have you just think I have neglected blogging because I just lost interest or something.

I feel certain that I’ll find a way to overcome the health issues and, in time, get my energy level back. I feel just as certain that I will return to the easel and the blog on a more regular basis, as I am still carrying a very big torch for painting.

In the meantime, I am enjoying being Santa to the  smart, funny, amazing little cherub running around my house inspiring me to be a better person, (and to get to feeling better so that I can chase her around and maybe even catch her once in a while!) And, in addition to my little girl and my wonderful husband, I have another forever-kind-of-love in painting, that is ready for me when I am. My wish to everyone reading this is that your life is equally as rich and full.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy 2012 to all!

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> It’s hard to believe that in just a few days’ time, Christmas will be upon us, and we will shortly after ring in a new year. I need only look at the cherubic face of my daughter,  a near-18 month old very active toddler,  to find truth in the saying “time flies”. Her progress has been great and swift. I can’t say the same for my painting or my blog this year, but that is life.

I have (thankfully) been busy with some commissioned work this fall and winter, so the studio isn’t completely covered in cobwebs. But time has been tight and consequently the blogging has suffered (as it is plain to see). So to the readers who are still with me, I feel like I should offer my apologies.

I can sometimes feel a little sad when I reflect on it, because up until the last year or two I had devoted quite a bit of time to this blog, trying to find things thoughtful or useful or interesting to post that could actually help or inspire someone else. There have been times this year when I stumble upon old blog posts and marvel at their length and how indepth some of them were. I find myself thinking, “Geez, I had a lot of time.” Time, now, is an elusive stranger, and I have struggled these last twelve months or so to wrangle it, without, I’m afraid, much success.

The truth of the matter is, that along with motherhood (which, while incredibly rich and rewarding,  still feels very much like a new shoe in need of breaking in) I am also dealing with some health issues. While not immenently  life-threatening, they are nonetheless, significant enough and  have really thrown a wrench in my ability to wear multiple hats. So when push comes to shove and I only have a finite amount of energy to devote to either art or motherhood, motherhood wins hands-down (and rightfully so).

I have to admit, I am not really a heart-on-the-sleeve kind of person and I don’t go much for “diary-entry” type posts on my blog. It’s supposed to be an art blog, after all, right? I also learned in my ”professional artist” training that if you want to be successful, you must present yourself that way. So with that intention, my plan has always been to keep things mostly on a professional level here. But as John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while  you are busy making other plans.”  And I just felt that it is better to tell it like it is rather than to have you just think I have neglected blogging because I just lost interest or something.

I feel certain that I’ll find a way to overcome the health issues and, in time, get my energy level back. I feel just as certain that I will return to the easel and the blog on a more regular basis, as I am still carrying a very big torch for painting.

In the meantime, I am enjoying being Santa to the  smart, funny, amazing little cherub running around my house inspiring me to be a better person, (and to get to feeling better so that I can chase her around and maybe even catch her once in a while!) And, in addition to my little girl and my wonderful husband, I have another forever-kind-of-love in painting, that is ready for me when I am. My wish to everyone reading this is that your life is equally as rich and full.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy 2012 to all!

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/19/seasons-greetings/feed/ 9 http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/12/19/seasons-greetings/ Varenna Harbor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jenniferyoung/uNkc/~3/K7ab3RncOwU/ http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/10/09/varenna-harbor/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:56:55 +0000 jennifereyoung http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/?p=466 This little piece took longer than I expected. There is quite a lot of information so I thought it a good idea to work some things out on a smaller canvas before tackling a larger sized studio piece. I’m glad I did! I do think it will work well on a larger scale (24x36ish) so I now feel like I have a few things figured out for the next version! Any way, let’s not jump too far ahead, shall we? Here is the current version, on a linen mounted panel :

Italian landscape painting Lake Como Italy
“Varenna Harbor”
Oil on Linen, 16×12″
To purchase, please contact me!

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> This little piece took longer than I expected. There is quite a lot of information so I thought it a good idea to work some things out on a smaller canvas before tackling a larger sized studio piece. I’m glad I did! I do think it will work well on a larger scale (24x36ish) so I now feel like I have a few things figured out for the next version! Any way, let’s not jump too far ahead, shall we? Here is the current version, on a linen mounted panel :

Italian landscape painting Lake Como Italy
“Varenna Harbor”
Oil on Linen, 16×12″
To purchase, please contact me!

artpost fin



Jennifer Young; Vibrant Landscapes
Oil Paintings and Art Prints Online
My Website
Subscribe to my newsletter
Subscribe to my blog
Contact Me! ]]> http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/10/09/varenna-harbor/feed/ 2 http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/2011/10/09/varenna-harbor/