About Jennifer Bain
Jennifer Bain was born into an artistic family in New York City in 1955. Her parents were immigrants from Canada who came to New York to pursue the rich culture and vibrancy of the American art scene in the post World War II era.
After high school she pursued creative yet practical career, she earning an A.A. degree in Fashion Design and working successfully in that field until her mid twenties. After a devastating illness in which she nearly lost her life she returned to art school receiving a B.F.A. from The California College of the Arts in 1981 and a M.F.A. in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1985.
Fine art galleries throughout the U.S. including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco represent the artist's work. Her works are in private and corporate collections nationally and globally. She is honored to have been included in the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies Program in 2005 - 2007 and 2009 - 2011. She is married to an artist and lives in California.
Interview with the Artist
How did you interpret using the Strathmore Thistle for the pad cover artwork? Anything else you'd like to share about your piece?
I have been incorporating thistle images in my work for a while so using a thistle of choice in this project was a natural.
How did the Strathmore paper you used for the project affect your drawing (or painting) techniques?
I found it to be resilient and took all my techniques well. I used acrylic in wash and opaque application, reductive drawing with wet on dry paint, as well as ink, graphite and charcoal.
Which artists inspire you?
Anyone who has practiced art for many years!
What advice would you give to beginning artists?
Decide how art making fits into your life and make it a consistent practice. I believe it envelops the totality of a person's life and perspective - that's a rather large commitment but if you are an artist it defines you, so commitment is not an option or a problem. Do what you love and listen to yourself.
