Jenn Clemons

ABOUT THE ARTIST

My practice begins with the inspiration of forms I encounter in the natural world. My recent paintings have been inspired by the trees I encountered while hiking last summer through the high desert of the Eastern Sierra Nevadas and the green forests of the Catskills. I saw ancient trees, Bristlecone Pines, some of the oldest living organisms on earth, and giant, gnarled oaks.
I am drawn to tree forms that reflect the forces of environmental elements over time. Through my work, I explore the juxtaposition of fragility and resilience in the natural world, the subtle, often imperceptible growth and change shaped by the elements. I am interested in how time unfolds in quiet ways and how both natural variation and humanity's presence are recorded in the landscape.
Back in my studio, I begin each piece with thin layers of graphite, pastels, and water-soluble oil paints on large wood panels. I draw the form, stripping away elements of the surrounding landscape to reveal the essence of the tree. I build multiple layers of gestural drawing and underpainting, applying paint, carving out details in graphite, and then wiping and scratching into the surface until the form emerges.
I create an impression of the tree, something beyond the likeness of a photo. In these pieces, the trees become animated, their forms reaching out, engaging with the viewer.

ABOUT THE ART

I work in thin layers of graphite and oil paint on wood panels. I sketch the form, stripping away the elements of the surrounding landscape. Through gestural mark-making and underpainting: I add paint, carve out detail in graphite, and then wipe and scratch into the piece until the form is revealed.