Jiq Jaq

An Ideal Place: Current Exhibition

2007-11-09T14:06:00.000Z

“An Ideal Place” represents not only abstract physical landscapes, but the terrain of emotion that Jaq travels through as she paints. This entire series was created in a few ambitious months. Her drive to be so prolific is steered by intense feelings that are released in varied brush strokes and, at times, bursts of unexpected and intense colour.

Because the complexity of emotions and moods can not simply be summed up in a word or two, Jaq, like many artists, uses a brush and canvas to communicate what might otherwise be impossible to express. This means these works are quite personal.

Abstraction also means that each viewer may find it easier to connect to these works on a more personal level depending on how they identify and connect to the represented feeling in their own lives. What Jaq may paint as a response to her own anger may trigger a feeling of fear or excitement in someone else. Because the interpretation is subjective, or widely variable for each individual, the beauty of these paintings dives deeper than the surface of the canvas.

Upstairs, the exhibition mixes vibrantly cool and wispy blues of the 'Lost in Translation' triptych with other paintings that use a washing technique in more neutral, sometimes organic, colours. Also on the top floor are seven very small canvasses that give the impression of 'Swimming Upstream' or feeling 'Submerged', metaphorically speaking.

Downstairs, you will find a varied selection of works from the same collection. 'Transition in Time' stands alone because it represents a change, something unstable or unsettled, an emotional turning point. The back wall features strong, confident colours and brush strokes in 'Secret Weapon' and 'A Walk Down Park Avenue', representing a more stable mood. The side walls are, again, more neutral. The large range of colour in “An Ideal Place” results from Jaq's painting in response to her powerful emotions.

Looking straight ahead at the back wall upstairs or downstairs, or in the gallery window, one gathers a feeling of confidence and direction, strength and a straight path toward a goal of some description. The side walls seem to depict fragments of variously combined emotions, times of reasoning, imagining, of decision making, dips into memories from the past or dreams of the future.

Standing close to these detailed works is a much different experience than viewing them from a distance. They are full of strong valleys of colour amongst mountains of texture and interwoven movements of the brush. Jaq's entire body is involved in these paintings, not just her hand that holds the brush. Enthusiasm in the creation of each piece is apparent.

You are welcome t0 visit the exhibition at 112 Heath Street, Hampstead, to see and enjoy for yourself! Please leave a note or email info@jiqjaq.com if you request more information.

New Exhibition and New Paintings

2007-10-19T15:25:00.000Z

Human interaction with the environment is complex. From the needs of hunters and gatherers to the current obsession with recycling and global warming prevention, the land has not only been a stage where we act out our daily roles, but an intimate part of our lives. Jaq enjoys the excitement of travelling around Europe, the Mediterranean and America, where she gathers much of her inspiration from the mountains, the oceans and fields. Returning to London, it is the familiar landmarks that immediately bring a feeling of home. In that same way, we all look to well-known landscapes for comfort and unfamiliar environments for adventure.

Jaq expresses her interest in the interaction of the human mind and our surroundings with her series “Searching for a Skyline.” Instead of focusing on a literal depiction of landscapes she encounters in her travels, she zeros in on the abstract emotions and memories that these places evoke.

The most recent and most abstract work to enter this series,'Secret Weapon' and 'A Walk Down Park Avenue', are displayed in the window of Jiq Jaq Gallery, and the rest of the collection is available to view on the ground floor.

Downstairs, the exhibition veers away from landscapes and focuses on the human side with some figurative pieces from Jaq's Rococo collection. The women in these paintings are daydreaming, looking away from the viewer. They are deep in thought, perhaps longing for loved ones far away. Upstairs hangs a painting of a simple bridge stretching over a body of water, a connection between two lands and possibly the subject of these daydreams. The title of the painting is 'Between Us'. Another is of a sunrise. These illustrate the way land dictates our relationships, nudging us closer or splitting us apart.

'Secret Weapon' and 'A Walk Down Park Avenue' edge toward a brand new collection called “An Ideal Place”. A tiny canvas, 20cm by 20cm, a teaser of this collection, is on display now. There are 15 other canvases already painted waiting to be unveiled in the near future. While the landscapes in “Searching for a Skyline” are vaguely recognisable as mountains or glaciers or oceans, “An Ideal Place” takes the abstraction one step further to give the viewer just a sense of a place. This is achieved through the abstract application of bold and neutral colour and layers of texture.

But the most unique aspect of 'An Ideal Place' is the variation in canvas size. While they clearly represent the same series, the 20cm x 20cm 'A Fragment of a memory' is tiny in comparison to the three 183cm x 137cm canvases that comprise the triptych 'Perfect Moments Do Exist I, II and III'.

Enjoy 'Searching for a Skyline' and 'Rococo' now and look for “An Ideal Place” at Jiq Jaq Gallery at the next change of exhibition (date to be decided). For further information, visit http://www.jiqjaq.com/.
Jaq has also completed three new paintings to continue her "An Ideal Place" series posted in the last entry.

Street Sleep Walking

Confetti Salami

Jumping Over

An Ideal Place

2007-10-03T15:23:00.000Z

With the turn of colours in the leaves and the freshness of autumn pushing summer into the shadows, there is a sense of renewal in the air. Over the last few months, Jaq has tapped into this refreshment that the change of seasons brings and been very proficient in her work. She has also made some important changes to her image.
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What makes art intriguing to me (and this is obviously different for everyone) is the story behind the work and the details of the artist's life. Take Tracey Emin, for example. I don't particularly like her art for what it is, but because she leads an interesting life and uses titles to expand the meaning of her work, I find her much more interesting than I would otherwise and even wrote one of my term papers on her a few years ago.
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With this in mind, we have taken the past few weeks to think about and change most of the titles of Jaq's paintings and pastels to reflect ideas or concepts and to be a bit more abstract and thought-provoking. Before, her titles pointed out what was obvious about a painting with names like “Blue Table” or “White Nude.” These particular paintings has now been retitled “Spirits Unseen” and “Sensations of Synesthesia,” respectively.
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An argument could be made that these kind of titles distract a viewer from the art itself but, in my opinion, they only add to its appeal.
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In this spirit of renewal, Jaq has also added 14 new ethereal, abstract landscapes to create a new series called An Ideal Place, and has added two new paintings to her collection “Searching for a Skyline,” previously titled “Solano”.
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The following are images of her most recent work, all oil on canvas. Please click over to http://www.jiqjaq.com/ to find an updated site and view the sizes for these paintings and the new titles for her older work. We're always interested to hear your thoughts.
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Secret Weapon

A Walk Down Park Avenue

Still, Close Enough 1

Still, Close Enough 2

Transition in Time

Lost in Translation 1

Lost in Translation 2

Lost in Translation 3

Perfect Moments Do Exist 1

Perfect Moments Do Exist 2

Perfect Moments Do Exist 3

Breathing Underwater

Chaos Theory

Blinking Against an Icy Wind

A Fragment of a Memory

Submerged

Street People Exhibition

2007-07-30T14:22:00.000Z

Jiq Jaq Gallery presents Jacqueline Crofton's Street People.

Where:
Jiq Jaq Gallery, 112 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 1DR

When:
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 is open night. Come from 6:30-8:30 for wine and conversation. The exhibition will run September 18, 2007.

To an artist, homelessness, like war and poverty, is a powerful subject. Every day, we pass people with nowhere to call home, some of us notice them, others pay no attention, but they are part of our world and their colourful stories are brush strokes on the portrait of our city.

About six years ago, painter Jacqueline K Crofton sat in Camden's soup kitchen eating lunch with a group who shared their experiences. Afterwards, she was able to sketch and photograph some of them and, over the next year, developed a series of large charcoal and oil paintings on flax, which she called Street People. This controversial collection is not for everyone and has never before been shown to the public.

Many of these people use shelters at night. Others are called 'rough sleepers', the ones you see in doorways and under bridges. You may have wondered how they got there and why they have not been able to escape that life.

In 2004, St. Mungo's conducted a survey on 1,534 people without homes. What they found helped explain the tangled web of problems that sends them to the streets. The most common reason has to do with broken relationships that were destroyed by or spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse, behavioural problems and both physical and mental illness. The research found 40% of homeless people have a mental health problem and just over 1/3 have issues with substance abuse. 48% have been without permanent housing for two or more years, 17% for more the 10 years. London offers a number of support groups that help unemployed homeless men and women find jobs. Some sell The Big Issue from which 80p per sale goes into their own pocket. They are often stuck in unemployment because they have no permanent mailing address, poor hygiene, no money for interview clothes and educational problems.

Jaq's reasoning behind painting this series was not for it to be a social commentary but to create a composition of a darker, yet inevitable, reality. The rate of homelessness in London is twice as high as the rest of England and far greater than government statistics indicate, according to the charity crisis who estimates approximately 400,000 homeless in Great Britain. There is a stark contrast in London, even in this borough alone. Here, we have the upmarket neighbourhood of Hampstead, and just around the corner, you find Camden soup kitchen.

To see the entire collection online, click here.

Summer News

2007-07-03T09:17:00.000Z

In New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love. Here in London, Jaq embarks on her own summer-long journey of creativity.

She continues to expand her brand new series, Nirvana, which embodies the values of that infamous summer in her own signature style. Introducing huge and powerful oil on canvas paintings, some measuring 137cm x 183cm, this abstracted landscape collection of florals and meadows plays with the effect of light and shadows. Luminous and striking, with strategically-placed streaks of red and some darker areas of disturbance, the tryptich Elysian Fields echoes the persistent struggle between peace and war. Experimenting with an entrancing new vivid blue, purple and green colour scheme and dripping paint, Jaq has assured her most recent work is full of energy. Watch for pictures soon.

A taste will be revealed in her first ever art catalogue, to be printed this summer by Colourhouse. This 40-page, glossy publication, complete with large, high-quality images and captivating descriptions, offers a special gift of a complimentary print to those who make a purchase.

Her catalogue brings another first to the mix as Jaq has made the decision to sell her delicate oil on paper paintings. These unique works, previously available only as prints, are highlighted in contemporary frames and feature oriental figures, still lifes and women from her Rococco series.

In September, Jaq's summer of creativity will culminate in an exhibition of her most recent work at Jiq Jaq Gallery (located at 112 Heath Street, Hampstead) which will display a selection of paintings from her Nirvana, Solano and Delicacies series.

If you are interested in a catalogue or would like an invitation to the Jiq Jaq exhibition, call the office at 020 7561 6218 or email info@jiqjaq.com. To see more of Jaq's work, visit http://www.jiqjaq.com/.

Tangled Up In Blue

2007-06-19T10:18:00.000Z

“I'm just taking a break. I'm absolutely covered in large quantities of paint,” Jaq laughed yesterday. “It's all over my face and everywhere. It will be a nightmare to get it all off.”

She was in the middle of working on a series of new paintings. I saw the first finished one last week when I stopped by her studio on the way to the gallery. They are striking and very different than her usual choice of colours. Expressive blues, purples, and greens are tangled together in a meadow -like abstract oil on canvas. Far from pale, these colours speak for themselves like those in her Mood and Colour series.

They will be used in the beginning of our second catalogue, which we will start as soon as the first goes to print. We've just added another eight pages to the first as there are so many paintings and it is crucial that each is displayed for maximum impact. They can not be squished together just so they fit. There will also be 2-3 inserts in the 40 page publication.

We're very excited for the finishing touches to come together so we can start to concentrate on the second one as Jaq keeps creating more and more work. Artists go through periods of high creativity and those that are less productive. Jaq's productivity levels are high right now. “I love my job,” she told me the other day. Can you blame her?

In September, Jiq Jaq Art Gallery will hold an exhibition of all of her most recent work. If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive an invitation, please send us an email at info@jiqjaq.com.

Special Sale: Mood and Colour Prints

2007-05-29T14:44:00.000Z

After a rainy bank holiday weekend, we've decided to extend our weekend sale on all Mood and Colour prints for another week to give those who were stuck indoors a chance to visit our new gallery display.
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We are offering a special 15% reduction on all Mood and Colour giclee prints this week only until June 3rd, and customers can choose to take these stunning pieces home loose or in silver frames.
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This collection is all about Jaq's love of colour and texture. Each piece is vibrantly unique, and together as a series, they express her infatuation with the human form and her signature style. Jaq loves to create rich backgrounds of vibrant patchwork brush strokes in colours that compliment each figure.
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The inspiring series includes a full range of colours and a painting to compliment any mood. So, scroll down and have a look at some of the prints on offer, and if you are in the area, head on over to Jiq Jaq art gallery from Wednesday to Sunday (10:30 – 6:30) at 112 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 1DR. If you're interested in what you see, please call 020 7435 9300 or check out the web site at http://www.jiqjaq.com/ for more paintings.
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Catalogue Additions

2007-05-15T10:47:00.000Z

Deciding to offer oil on paper originals for the first time, we saw it fitting to squeeze a few into the catalogue. The design got a facelift. I revamped all of the descriptions to cut out any extra words without losing the meaning. Then we added the following works:

The brand new triptych, Elysian Fields, I, II and III:

The three Delicacies paintings which are oil on paper, Horse, Nude, and Dancer:

Brocade Robe and Wisteria Maidens, both oil on paper from the Out of the Orient series:

And lastly, a few from the Rococo series, Nu Et Luxe, Nude Exotique and Allegra.

Nirvana

2007-05-04T12:16:00.000Z

Jaq's new triptych, Elysian Fields, may soon have company. Despite an eye irritation this week, Jaq has begun a new painting in vibrant purples and greens. It will be another week before she can work on it some more as it needs the time to dry. The canvas not as massive as the first three were, but it fits the mood of her new series which she has titled Nirvana, and to further replicate the tone, she may even add some drips to this one.

This collection will appear at the beginning of our new, and first, catalogue. The last stages of design are under way and I have been working with our designer the past few days to smooth out the remaining kinks in the project. It has come together brilliantly and I can not wait to see what the final product will look like. I think this will be the key to selling more of Jaq's work as it is attention-grabbing. And anyway, who doesn't love to flip through the pages of a brand new glossy publication? It will still be quite a few weeks before they are ready to use, but we've got the difficult part out of the way now.

In the meantime, we've been taking on other projects. I've been working on some postcard designs based on a sample pack from Modern Postcard that came in the mail the other day. Postcards are a great way to grab people's attention as well, because they are full of colour and like mini pieces of art. They are an effective way to spread Jaq's work around and raise awareness. They could also be used to promote special offers or lull people in to the gallery. They could be stuck to fridges with magnets as a reminder or sent off to friends.

We're waiting on one of the graphic designers to finish up our invitations for an open night at the gallery and also print the remainder of updated brochures so we can begin to send info packs to interior designers. Jaq's work is truly great for home decorating because it is not intrusive and there are so many different subjects to choose from to suit different personalities. Her signature style, which is in all of her paintings, is a mesh of colours in the background that can compliment almost any interior.

We are running a promotion on prints in the gallery this weekend as it is a holiday, offering a percentage discount. Olivia has replaced our usual display of an original painting in the window with four prints. We were also working this week with our printers to make a giclee print of a painting called Blue Shoes for a man who works at a rent and rotate art business called Ginger White. His company allows businesses to rent out artwork for a very small price and then rotate pieces in three, six, or twelve months. He's always looking for artists to get involved, and it is good for exposure of new work and new names. His website is quite interesting and can be seen at http://www.gingerwhite.co.uk/

We're also sending out an email advertisement next week, a genuine offer to receive a complimentary print and have a few other projects on the go.

Hope everyone has a nice bank holiday weekend!

Three Sales and a Lost Friend

2007-04-23T13:23:00.000Z

Jaq has said to me before, there is a balance in this life. For every negative, a positive and vice versa. As this weekend's events were driven forward, they hugged the curves of that philosophy closely.

Over the past few days, we have sold three paintings, which so happened to be my top three favourites.

The first was to a young couple. They borrowed Filomena II to test in their home a few weeks ago and have paid the £2,000 now, deciding they would keep the large oil on canvas. This was a favourite of many of Jaq's admirers and gallery visitors, so it will be a shame not to see it hanging in there, but it's great to know it will decorate another wall and make other people happy.

Two of my other favourites went to a woman, a French teacher. She bought the oil on Fabriano paper, Girl with Lotus, for £2,000. This is the one that we planned to print on the back of our new catalogue that is being designed at this very moment, so now it is my job to pick a new painting to take its place.

The other one this woman purchased was a very small, yet powerful oil on canvas called Girl with Pink Obi for £350.

So, it was a profitable weekend at the gallery. A vase was also sold as well, which caused some issues with a credit card, but it's being sorted out now by the right people.

It is interesting that all of the paintings sold were figurative when the newest paintings are all abstract landscapes. It's all a matter of taste and I am now marketing these newer paintings to interior designers as they will make a relaxing addition to interiors in our crazed workaholic society.

The balance to this positive news is that Jaq lost her beloved dog, Bijou, this weekend. She is devastated, as you can imagine if you have ever lost a pet.

Bijou began eating different food a few weeks ago, and Jaq is suspicious that this is to blame as her other male dog would not eat it and is not ill. She did some research and found that, in America, there is an uproar by pet parents because many animals are dying due to chemicals found in a type of dog food imported from China. She said the case has gone to government courts and, though there is probably a similar situation in the UK, no action seems to have been taken.

Jaq asked me, if I have spare time while I'm working, to write a letter of awareness to an investigative journalist who has the time to look into the situation in this country. It is complex and will take research. Jaq is certainly the type of person who takes action when action must be taken.

Elysian Fields

2007-04-18T13:02:00.000Z

After spending the last few weeks so frustrated that I even destroyed my work at one point with black paint, I have finally finished the three massive canvasses I've been painting.

Measuring 72” x 54”, they proved a challenge. When canvasses are so big, you can't fill every little gap with “information” or it becomes overwhelming. You need to leave space with just a hint of colour or a bit of texture.

Because of their daunting size, I didn't feel like just applying a brush to the canvas was enough for these paintings, so I used three techniques:

*Brush
*Palette Knife
*Drips

I was particularly drawn to the dripping of paint as it is a technique that allows the whole body to become involved in the piece in a sort of vehement emotional enthusiasm. I thought about abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock who are famous for employing physical movement in the creation of paintings. Emotional energy inevitably shines through the end result.

As a whole, these paintings appear calming at first glance, but there is something disruptive in them, something slightly menacing. It comes out especially in the black streaks of the second painting in the triptage. These streaks fly sideways across the sky in this landscape. They soar like a fleeting moment of pain across the pale background, like dark scars in the canvas.

I found myself thinking of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and how the pretty garden was a bit foreboding.

Another painting is darker on one side than the other, representing the yin and the yang, the good and the bad, disruption and nirvana, because that's what life is all about. I don't believe you ever get something for nothing. There are always consequences. For every beautiful and bountiful thing, there is a price.

My own personal experience is a prime example. I have been a horrible picture of health lately and I feel the pain in my body when I paint. But I will never stop because it is my passion. I suffer through the torment to taste the beauty that I can experience as an artist. These are not just pretty pictures; they are saturated with the drama of life.

I was thinking about all of these things as I worked. There was a sense of walking through a place, a meadow perhaps, and at the end, there was something very... fine. It was a utopia of sorts, a welcoming place full of light. It was Elysian.

So, I've decided to name this series “Elysian Fields.”

And one thing is for sure: even if you don't like the paintings, there is no way you can ignore them.

(All of these photos were taken on my mobile phone just as examples while I wait to have them professionally photographed for out catalogue.)

Destruction of Creativity = More Creativity

2007-04-12T13:01:00.000Z

Every artist destroys their own work at some point, whether it be an accident or an outburst of frustration.

It's a good thing creativity knows no bounds.

One of the three massive pale paintings I wrote about the other day is now pitch black. It bears no resemblance to what it once was, or the other two that were intended to match. After spending an entire day yesterday wrestling the paint onto the canvas in such a way that was aesthetically pleasing, I was still not satisfied with the results. It's like I suddenly forgot how to paint altogether.

And when my husband's response to these paintings was simply, “I like them,” I knew right then that they were no good.

I woke up early this morning and covered over an entire painting with black paint. It is now setting out to dry. I have not destroyed my own work in a very long time, but my guess is that this has something to do with the size of these canvasses.

Negativity accomplishes nothing, and so I looked at this mess as a catharsis, a chance to think outside the box and delve into a new realm of creativity. I could have scraped the canvasses off completely and began anew, but I have another idea in mind.

Don't laugh.

I took a trip to a very good interior design store this morning and picked up some deep red glossy oil paint. It was very expensive paint, but I can't be bothered to keep painting these canvasses with the oil paint in the tubes.

And in the true spirit of thinking differently, not caring so much what the result is because it can't be worse than what it was, I decided I will give myself a sort of release from this taxing work and throw the red paint at the black canvas once it dries.

If nothing else, it will be an experiment.

Experiments in Marketing

2007-04-10T15:48:00.000Z

Marketing artwork can be tricky. Once you know your target audience, the avenues of possibility spiral and cross in so many directions, it's impossible to predict the outcome of every one. While some of them are tempting to explore, it is important to keep from selling out and maintain a classy image, if, of course, that's what you're going for.

We tried email marketing, which meant buying a list of names from a data company and sending out a message offering a complimentary print. This did not get a particularly great response, probably because the multitude of spammers saturating inboxes everywhere have discouraged people from opening emails from addresses that are unfamiliar, but is is definitely worth pursuing with a few tweaks.

The same tactic was tried in The Guardian some time ago and it commanded an exponentially better response. But email is the cheapest, quickest and most modern way of communicating. Surely there must be a way to stand out among the junk mail when your offer is truly genuine?
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So we've devised a new plan: a carefully constructed series of email letters.

Whether people will take the time to read them, who knows, but we're going to give it a shot. The first is an introduction to Jaq and her work. The second, an invitation to view her blog, her MySpace page, and a few new works, and the third, an offer of a free print and the opportunity to purchase the prints presented in the second email. They will be sent out one a week for three weeks.

It is, more or less, an experiment with modern technology over print media.

The complimentary print will be Oriental Still Life, which usually sells for £60. Because we can not afford to give them away and pay for them to be sent, we are still requesting the small charge of £7.95 for postage and packaging, which I don't think is by any means unreasonable.

Oriental Still Life: 19" x 27"

There are other projects under way as well:

Glossy catalogue with paintings from about six or seven collections of Jaq's work.
Postcards
Marketing specifically to interior designers
Marketing to fashion houses and designers whose style matches Jaq's work
An open night at the gallery with invitations sent out to a guest list
Attempting to get work into various art fairs
Article and advertisement placed in Graffiti Magazine
Artist's name and gallery address in Galleries Magazine
MySpace, MyArtSpace, this blog, the jiqjaq website and other Internet projects

Research into various other avenues of possibility

If anyone has discovered any interesting marketing possibilities, feel free to leave comments and start a discussion.

The art world is a tricky one to penetrate as is it one of great competition. What makes one artist stand apart from the crowd? As an artist, how do you market your art? What marketing tactics catch your eye as a customer?

Everyone's opinion, no matter how informed, is valuable, because purchasing art is a very personal experience.

The Frustrations of a Painter

2007-04-03T15:02:00.000Z

Oh, life as a full time painter must be grand, you think. But even the most exciting career paths have their frustrations. I can promise you that.

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I've started on three massive canvasses, measuring 72 inches in height and 54 in width. I can reach only so high and then must place them on the floor to finish the top sections.

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The problem with large works is time. By saying time, I mean never having enough of it.

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It means that one day I will be controlled by a certain mood. That mood will take hold of my actions and, as if the paintings were painting themselves, the mood will display itself in the work. The next day, when I reflect on my progress, my mood has most likely changed and I am unhappy with the last day's results.

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Today, once again, the canvasses have changed. Perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worst. I can't say for sure just yet.

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I scraped back number one, and have now over-painted it in a beige colour as I felt it was becoming too pink. Tomorrow I must sand down the surface and re-draw.

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As a rule, I generally do not draw on canvasses, just go straight to the painting, but that is a dangerous move on such large canvasses. It would be easy to lose my way in the structure of the painting without a guide.

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It is in my nature to let a work reveal itself, so to speak, rather than start with a pre-conceived idea. This, however, is not quite happening with such large works and it means I have to introduce some discipline into my approach. I will have to commit early on to an idea.

There are always other frustrations, of course, namely countless phone calls. I really need to be able to fully focus on these works to complete them as they will be featured on the front page of our new catalogue, which is in progress as I write.

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I have delivered my painting Girl with Pink Obi to a woman who has many very good works in her home. It looks wonderful. She is testing it out before she commits to purchasing as many buyers understandably like to do.

I may sell her my oil on paper, Girl with Pink Lotus, which she is also interested in. My plan was originally to make prints of it first, but as they are a bother to do and would take ages to produce, it doesn't seem sensible to hold it back. It made me realise that some other oils on paper may be better just to frame and sell now as well. I have held back on selling them in the past, but there is no point in letting them sit in a drawer.

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It is good to hear from Olivia that Sunday was a very busy day in the gallery and some good prospective customers dropped in. I'd like to welcome you to stop by as well, even if it is just for a browse. Jiq Jaq at 112 Heath Street in Hampstead is where my work is on display, and as the weather turns to Spring, it is in a perfect location to continue on a stroll up to Hampstead Heath.

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I have also just found out that Graffiti Magazine is now available to download at http://www.graffitimagazine.co.uk/forthcoming.htm. There is a short article on me inside as well as an advertisement for our gallery.

Happy Birthday, Jaq!

2007-03-29T10:42:00.000Z

Yesterday, Jaq celebrated her birthday, but like any true lady, she will never reveal her age.

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She invited me over to her gorgeous home for a delicious glass of wine with a few of her closest (and well-dressed) friends and family. Conversation flowed mainly around art and culture.

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Jaq brought up an interesting discussion she had the other day about Mark Rothko's work now being categorised by critics as “landscape” rather than the former “abstract expressionism.” Personally, I still think abstract expressionism most accurately describes his work, but then its really just a label. One of Jaq's friends said she could see the critic's point as Rothko's work is rectilinear in nature.

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From there, we talked about metaphysics, operas, plays and the pizza in Verona, as well as the mutual chocolate obsession shared among a few of us.

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At one point, the conversation turned to classical music, namely Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde – Prelund Liebestod, which Jaq described as a musical orgasm. And from there, led to Schubert and the beauty in his music, especially right before his death at the young age of 31, six years after he was diagnosed with syphilis.

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Another of Jaq's guests pointed out that Schubert was not especially attractive to the ladies of his time. He was even called “The Little Mushroom” as he was shorter than 5'2 and apparently quite rotund.
This brought out the philosophical question of, “Do you think it's possible for true beauty to be the creative output of a person with a destructive personality?”

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And speaking of creative output, (though far from a destructive personality) Jaq led me upstairs to her studio at one point. She's currently working on three very large (taller than me) canvasses simultaneously. Each is in a different stage at the moment, layers of paint drying.

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They are ethereal, whispy, off-white, bits of blue. She said they reminded her of a tiny fragment of cells on a slide under a microscope, magnified about 300,000 times their size.

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By the way, the view from her studio is gorgeous and inspiring, in case you were wondering. She said the room was built for an artist before.

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In other news, I've entered Jaq's painting La Fille des Feuilles into the Saatchi Showdown. Because, well, why not? Voting begins April 2. Nothing will probably come of it, but as it's free, I thought we should give it a go. Stop by to vote if it's April 2 or later http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=13283. If it's before that, enter your own work!

Look for a blog post by Jaq herself over the weekend.

~Posted by Steph~

The Mystery of a Geisha

2007-03-22T14:44:00.000Z

From the OUT OF THE ORIENT collection
The Golden Geisha

(Fine Art Offset Lithograph Print: 28" x 20")

Golden kimono
a mystical illumination
in the evening's attempt to
burn off the scorching daylight hours
an oil spill of colours painted on a canvas sky

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Floating
her body drifts through
trees with whispering branches
as if she were riding the leisurely current of a stream

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She moves as a geisha must with elegance and grace
an entertainer, an icon of mystery
contemplating her affairs
dreaming

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Keeper of secrets that slip like silk through her ears
a woman whose emotions must always be
wrapped in layers like her skin
swathed neatly in a
golden kimono

Note: All OUT OF THE ORIENT prints purchased include a complimentary copy of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha.

Prints have made Jaq's artwork more accessible, especially to her younger audience who are often looking to decorate the walls of a new flat.

The OUT OF THE ORIENT collection is meant to reflect the Japanese values of serenity and meditation to set off a calm aura in a room.

Filling a Blank Slate

2007-03-21T10:38:00.000Z

As a writer, my memories are recalled through strings of carefully constructed sentences, with details flowing in the form of metaphors and descriptions of taste and smell.

As an artist, Jaq sees the world differently. Her thoughts are constructed in images. Her memories are recalled in shape, form, colour and texture.
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To me, each day begins as a blank page; to her, a blank canvas.

One month ago, she took me on as her marketing executive, a position that allows me to be surrounded by beauty and creativity, to write, and to put the degree I earned in my home of New York to good use.

This blog will give an account of my experience working with Jaq and will share her experiences as an established painter in London, a city I have fallen in love with for its history, art, culture and lifestyle.

Just as I have often been inspired by my travels to write, Jaq has been inspired by her own to paint. One of her newest collections is called SOLANO, which is composed of abstract landscapes rich in the vivid colours and defining texture that are the key elements of her unique style.

Red mountain is the largest in this collection measuring 48" x 41". It is currently hanging on the wall in the lower level of Jiq Jaq Art Gallery in Hampstead, awakening the senses of its viewers with beautiful streaks of gold strewn across the deep reds in the foreground and textured paint that imitates the rugged face of the mountain's terrain.

One of the pieces in this collection that has been commented on most often at the gallery is called Mirage. It was inspired by a trip Jaq took to Northern Africa, by the idea of a mirage in the desert and the stirring of dust that blurs the landscape.

Forest goes back to the beginning of this post, to different ways of seeing the world. A forest to one person may not be the same as a forest to another person just as an ocean may not appear to be the same for everyone standing on the same shore. This painting illustrates the unique perspective of an artist whose forest is characterised by colours blending and colliding amongst the wavering lines of abstract tree trunks and branches.

To see the rest of the SOLANO collection, click here and watch this blog space for some insight on the life of a successful painter and those who observe her.