About
My art style can be described as a moody, dramatic, expression of life.
Jeannie Hart
As a fulltime creative – I hone my craft in the Pacific Northwest while supporting causes that are near and dear to my heart.
Born and raised in California, surrounded by nature’s dry beauty and the consistent tension between humans and the land. I found inspiration in the stories the land wanted to tell. Early on in my artistic career I gravitated towards landscapes to capture the beauty I saw with the tension I often felt internally. As my career in design moved forward, I found much of my fine art focused on the drama that could be contained within a moment. The moment an animal is at peace. The moment between life and death for an arrangement of flowers.
In my early 30’s I moved to abroad which flipped my brain from the in between moments of California’s yellow beauty to a lusher green beauty of England. For the next five years, my wanderlust allowed me to bounce between London, Cambridge (England), and Oregon. During this time my artistic style matured through sheer necessity. No longer did I have the luxury of massive canvas nor long drying mediums, I had the first tools artist learn with…paper, pencil, & pens.
My art style can be described as a moody, dramatic, expression of life. The darkest of darks juxtaposed to the brightest of whites. All the shades of grey between not through a mixing of pigment but the intense layering of lines, dots, and time. I play on the vibrations and tension that contrast brings.
Now from my permanent studio, nestled in the forest around Portland, OR I focus my time on creating pieces that encourage balance and harmony while still being resoundingly dramatic expressions of life.
Inspiration
I take my queues from nature, inspiration in translating the organic into graphical representation. Stylistically I’ve always been drawn towards bold, narrative with complicated inks. As a long-time admirer of Mœbius (Jean Henri Gaston Giraud) complex illustrations woven with storytelling and David Mack’s beautiful graphic portrayals I find myself always trying to balance somewhere between the two. To capture a moment full of story and defined by detail.
Techniques
Most of my fine art is crafted traditionally with technical pens, ink, and gold leaf. However, I’m using the computer more to help hone my designs before placing pen to paper. I sketch on paper or my iPad, refine on the computer and finish out the final work on the medium of choice. I’m finding a lot of joy in creating more traditional-esque paintings digitally. The tiny footprint brings me back to my travel days while the digital tools feel much more like my larger previous endeavors – 15’ murals in pastels. I look forward to the freedom that comes with technology as I apply traditional techniques to my craft. Though, a paintbrush still feels really nice in the hand.
Exhibitions
XPND Interactive – Portland Design Week
Celebrating artist in technology
2019
Reigning Cats and Dogs
The Younger Gallery
2010
Via Arte
BMoA – Pastel Street Festival
2000 – 2012
Fragments
BMoA
2008
Info
© Copyright 2022
All Rights Reserved
Jeannie Hart
co / JH Illustrates
PO Box 1214
Tualatin, OR 97062