 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
MY
PERSONAL STATEMENT I entered this life in the form of a painfully shy child. I don't know if I was born with any talent for painting...only that in making art, this soul found a comfortable place for expression, safe from having to talk or interact with others. I grew up considering my shyness a curse, always trying to overcome it. I now know, as with any perceived weakness, it was actually a gift which allowed me to see and reflect on things imperceptible to those on a faster track. Now, 40 years later, with the fear of speaking far behind me, I discover that what I am called to express in my work is a celebration of the quieter side of the heart. It was all there before me, hidden only by time needed to learn the necessary tools of the trade. A touch of a mother's hand, a smile between friends, a good book...love is found in these small, most overlooked events of life. It is in these fleeting moments of calm that we can hear the whisper of a mighty God. My intention is that my art may cause you to pause and listen. |
JEN’S BIOGRAPHY Jen Norton says her work is an allegory for life…each of us is a unique creation, formed with a mixture of careful planning and a dose of the unexpected. She uses expressive color and texture to reveal the sublime in the often-overlooked ordinary. Beginning with watermedia on paper or canvas, she builds the final artwork with layers of collage, colored pencil, gesso, watercolor and acrylic. This process allows control over the final design elements of the composition, while letting some of the underlying chaos to peek through. Norton states, “ I paint to reveal the spirit hidden in everyday moments.” After ten years as a graphic designer in the Silicon Valley, Jen turned her experience toward her childhood passion and began painting full-time. Developing and refining ideas, a practice brought over from her design experience, has helped to define her painting style. Her subject matter is often a concept or emotion, rather than a "thing". She begins with strong design to organize her painting, and then relies on specific colors and irregular textures to convey feeling. When
a painting is finished, she looks forward to the work taking on
a new life as others view it. Her paintings
have evoked thought and emotion and are often described as “spiritual” or “melodic.” She
believes that art makes the world a more compassionate place, and makes
her a better person. |
| Norton is a graduate of Santa Clara University with a degree in Fine Art (1987). She is a board member of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (SCVWS) and has served on the steering committee for Silicon Valley Open Studios. She exhibits often in the Bay Area with groups such as Phantom Galleries and Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, as well as at local Art and Wine Fairs. Jen’s work can also be seen in scheduled solo or group exhibitions at local venues. She is an accomplished illustrator and her art has been licensed to Toland Home & Garden, Hay House Publishing and Kensington/BET Books. Jen is currently represented in the consumer licensing market by Painted Planet Licensing. |
|
EXHIBITIONS AND GALLERIES • First Place Award Winner for "Pig Racing in Belturbet", Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society Annual Show, Oct—Nov, 2009, Rose Shensen Community Gallery at the Triton Museum of Art; Judge: Christopher Schink. • Featured Artist, Kaleid Gallery, San Jose, CA, April 2008. • Award of Merit for "Patriot Act", California Statewide Watercolor Competition and Exhibition, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA, Jan 13-March 25, 2007; Juror: Jane Hofstetter, NWS. • First Place Award Winner for "From Here to There", Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society Annual Show, Oct—Nov, 2006, Rose Shensen Community Gallery at the Triton Museum of Art; Judge: Dale Laitinen. • First Place Fine Art Booth, Almaden Valley Art & Wine, September 2007. • Solo Show, Avalon Yoga, Palo Alto, CA Jan-March, 2007. • Solo Shows, Lift Fitness, Los Altos, CA, 2004 and 2006. • Sobi Artists’ Gallery, Burlingame, CA. Solo exhibition, Oct 14-28, 2004. • Los Gatos Art Association Member Juried Show, Los Gatos Museum, Los Gatos, CA. Oct 5 to Nov 6, 2004. • Los Gatos Art Association's "Art in the Chambers" show, Los Gatos Town Chambers, Los Gatos, CA. November 12, 2004 to January 7, 2005. My painting was chosen as the publicity image for the show. • South Bay Art Momentum. My painting, "Worldly Women" was chosen as one of 14 pieces by Silicon Valley artists to be part of a traveling exhibition to showcase South Bay art nationally and internationally. •"The American Experience" juried exhibition, Santa Cruz Art League, August 2004. Juror: Karen Kienzle, Curator of Exhibitions at the De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University. • “Art By My Mother” Group Exhibition of seven Bay Area professional artists who are mothers, Whitney Young Child Development Center, San Francisco, CA, August 2—15, 2003. • Pacific Art League Community Sites, including: Hotel California, Palo Alto; OICW, Menlo Park. • California Watercolor Association, San Francisco, CA: Work accepted into the CWA 34th Annual National Art Competition, displayed at the Academy of Art Gallery, 2002. • SharkByte Art, San Jose, CA: Creator of the “Hang Your Hat in San Jose” shark, commissioned by the Hotel deAnza for the SharkByte Art Exhibition, Summer 2001. • Silicon Valley Open Studios self-guided tours, 2001—present (see www.svos.org). • Tied House, Mountain View, CA: Exhibition of landscape work, Nov 12, 2002—Feb 12, 2003. • 29 E. Main Street Cafe, Los Gatos, CA: Exhibition of landscape and figurative work, Jan—March 2003. • Phantom Art Gallery, San Jose, CA: Display of figurative work in downtown window space in conjunction with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, Winter 2002—2003. • The Period Gallery, Omaha, NE: Work juried into the "Spiritual Art IV” Exhibition, 2002. PARTIAL
LIST OF ILLUSTRATION CLIENTS BACKGROUND • B.A. in Fine Arts, Minor in Business, Santa Clara University, 1987. • Graphic Designer, USWeb/CKS, 1990-1999 • Fine artist and illustrator, 1999-current |
|
e: e: jen (at) nortonstudio.com |
ph: 408.626.8701
|
Please contact studio to purchase originals or prints, or for reproduction rights. |
|
All
images © Jen Norton, Jen Norton Illustration & Design. All
rights reserved.
|
|
Artwork may not be reused, reproduced or rebroadcast without prior written consent of the artist. |
|
