white & orange pumpkins classical oil painting still life pumpkins Autumn Thanksgiving

White & Orange Pumpkins

10x8 inches, oil on canvas panel

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Having been so immersed in my pet portrait commissions (see other blog) I've been watching Autumn go by from my studio windows!  The leaves changed and fell before I could grab them for a painting, the berries on all the shrubs have been eaten by the birds and deer, and the raspberry and grape leaves have turned color and dropped way before I even got outside!  This is my favorite season second only to Spring and yet I've been unable to submerge myself into it as planned.  Therefore, when I received a request from a client to revisit this theme, I was inspired.  Maybe I'll venture outside tomorrow to see what remains of the seasonal color so that I may share some more still lifes with you in the coming weeks.

My painting process - Q&A on painting - On painting in zen and other good stuff

Question & Answer

So often over the years I've received questions pertaining to my painting process, whether it be technically, emotionally or even spiritually.  While I've attempted to answer in my sidebar commentaries, folks can easily miss it with so much to read. Therefore, I'll periodically post some responses here in my blog section which you can find quickly in the search bar on the left.

So keep those questions coming as I love hearing from you!

On Painting in Zen

 "For me it most noticeably occurred about 15 years ago with the creation of the most challenging paintings of my life, my huge, elaborate florals. The process was so intense and required so much mental energy it was peculiarly more work than studying differential equations or chemistry. Those paintings took months to complete as I taught myself how to grow to a new level. What is that Zen feeling for me? Where time is incalculable...observation and skill merge into a spiritual experience. Hurdles are long forgotten and I seem to be in a comfortable plateau in terms of color mixing, composition, balance, etc. The tea kettle boils dry...the promise of only a few minutes at my easel soon brings the realization six hours later that it's 3AM...the insatiable desire to keep recording ideas on panels that stack up by the dozens in my studio before I can find time to get back to them...the meditative state that occurs every time I sit at my easel...I call it auto pilot...the ability to tune out...the familiarity of spending so much solitary time in deep concentration. Only the jarring sound of a phone or the undeniable sweetness of birdsong or fluttering wings splashing in the birdbath can pull me away momentarily from my easel...before my work once again beckons. It's a spiritual experience which I hope my work someday lives up to. Right now I'd say the richness of the process actually exceeds the results...but I'm working on that...." Jeanne Illenye (c) 2010

Antique Sterling Silver Fork and Knife from my silver series oil paintings

Antique Sterling Silver Fork and Knife

from my Silver Series

7x5 inches / oil on panel

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rose petals from heaven . . . meeting new friends and kindred spirits

Recently, I'd been bloggin' around and discovered some incredibly beautiful sites, one of which I'd like not only to share with you, but to extend a very special thanks to Mo for featuring my decadent desserts and teacups.  Stop by her blog to see more gorgeous images featuring
Rose Petals from Heaven

It's always a gift from heaven to find kindred spirits whose appreciation of beauty exudes a joyous spirit!

Thank you so much Mo and friends!

 

Overturned Apple Basket apple picking in the grass country cottage scene

Overturned Apple Basket

20x16 inches / oil on canvas

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This painting is reminiscent of an old world ambience and implies a romantic story of a languid day apple picking, perhaps laying in the long, cool grass while selecting those without bruises (which I always love to add to show transience in nature) and sampling the harvest.  With attempting to follow the trend away from classical realism toward contemporary realism, I'd abandoned so much of my work, this included, until Alex Perez requested a painting for his gallery's fall show. 

"Happy Autumn!"

vintage antique sterling silver spoons oil painting floral patterns

Sterling Silver Spoons

4x4 inches / oil on panel

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A clutch of silver spoons laid upon my pine farmhouse table for quite some time until one day the sun illuminated them with a delightful glow!  Quickly I grabbed my camera to capture these precious antiques over 100 years old.  Reflected in the spoons you'll see me and my camera as well as the large "Farmstand Peaches" painting over my studio desk.

Forget-me-nots brooch, vintage lace, strand of pearls

Forget-me-nots, vintage lace and strand of pearls

4x4 inches / oil on panel

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This "Little Gem" oil painting is small in stature but big on impact.  From my collection, this handpainted forget-me-not brooch is a favorite, particularly placed amidst a string of pearls and vintage lace with tatted edges.  With such delicacy in creating these gems, it required a particularly delicate touch of the brush to interpret them in this oil painting.

butter yellow english roses wedgwood blue & white still life oil painting classical

Butter Yellow Roses in Wedgwood Bowl

5x5 inches / oil on panel

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A perennial favorite, yellow roses with blue and white porcelain has been a most popular combination! There’s something so soft and fresh about the butter yellow blooms which complement the vibrance of blue and white!