DPW Spotlight Interview: Andrea Jeris

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win Andrea's painting, "Flowers in the Window" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Andrea's DPW Gallery:

"If you ask the sun why it shines it would answer, 'because it is my nature to shine.'" I paint because it is my nature to paint.Nature takes my breath away. Sometimes it is overwhelming. I look at it until it looks back, then I find there is an image haunting me until I sketch it or paint it. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

My dad signed up for the Famous Artist Painting Course (a mail correspondence art course with artists including Norman Rockwell) as a hobby. He lost interest in about three months and gave me all the supplies including a full set of oil paints. Woo Hoo! I was sixteen.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Entering college I wanted to go into art. My dad said I’d have to go into teaching or commercial art. I believed him and worked in graphic design for most of my life, painting only being a hobby. I didn’t paint at all the seven years I was married but I won’t go into that. Now retired from graphic design I am on my second career as a full-time painter and I love it.

Flowers in the Window
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Andrea's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I think I’ve tried every media except fiber and sculpture and wanted to do them all—HA! For a long time I was a landscape painter. In the past few years I have tried still life, floral, animals, and others, and have really enjoyed each. I’m delighted to discover I have new inspirations.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

For years I went back and forth between oil and watercolor. Then I saw a demo on slow-drying acrylics and thought I could achieve both watercolor AND oil techniques in one medium. I painted in the “open" acrylics for three years. Then I took a workshop in oil and I remembered what I loved about oils. I have been painting in oils ever since.

Backyard
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I’m now dedicated to oil to hone my craft.

Who or what inspires you most?

All the great masters from the past, Rembrandt, da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, Sargent, Sorolla, Hopper, and others. And the artists who are making it now, Mary Whyte, Duane Keiser, Scott Christensen, Quang Ho, Carlos San Milan, Brian Rutenberg, Karen Jurick, and of course, Carol Marine.

Girl in the Garden
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

The Internet! It is such a time suck for me—looking at other people’s art.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

Art before housework! Ha ha! I try to paint everyday. I used to think I needed a three hour block of time to be able to paint. Now if I have a half an hour I’ll take it. But usually I get in at least a half a day if not six or more hours.

Flower Farm
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

When I paint every day I start painting everything with my eyes constantly. The Chinese have what they call "The Ten Thousand Things."  "…among The Ten Thousand Things there is no ordinary thing." —The Zen of Seeing by Frederick Franck

From May through October I go out plein air painting once a week with friends. I take lots of photos as well, everywhere I go.  And I keep a list of ideas when the mood strikes.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I was painting very tight, almost photo-realistic. But felt that was too much about skill rather than expression. So I look to artists I admire, watch a video, tutorial, read art magazines, study techniques, and I keep trying to loosen up my work and we’ll see what happens. I’m still learning so much. Oh, and of course hit the museums and galleries.

Yellow Rose
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

It’s beneficial to experiment, and when I disengage from outcome I do my best work. That’s difficult because usually I have a picture in my head and if I can’t get it to come out on the canvas it’s frustrating. If I just say I’m going to try a technique to see what happens, and there is no expectation, any result is helpful to learning.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Oh, it takes me to another world, a very happy place.

Thanks, Andrea!

© 2017 Sophie Marine