Issue 8 Artist Spotlight | Jena Thomas

C+B: Tell us about yourself, Jena!

JT: I am a Painting and Drawing Professor. I love to travel and hike, that is when I collect most of my images for my work.

C+B: How do you define the word "art?"

JT: I try not to...

C+B: Describe how you work through a creative block, or period where it's difficult for you to produce work.

JT: I just keep showing up. It also helps me to have multiple things going at once, paintings, drawings collages, so I can move around depending on my mood. Most importantly, I keep showing up, there is always something in the studio to be done.

C+B: Describe a time when you experienced a creative breakthrough, a change in process, or a realization about your work.

JT: This seems to happen when I have completed working on a body of work. I try not to filter my direction too much, rather just sit back at the end and look at whats been done. When I moved back to Florida (I am currently in South Carolina) I had a moment of realization when I looked around at the artificial landscape and I just found it to be so bizarre. It took moving away and coming back with fresh eyes to see how strange it was to me. This has fuled my body of work for many years now.

Find and support Jena here:

IG: @jenathomasart
Website: jenathomasart.com

(Beautifully Dirty, ©Jena Thomas)

My ideal creative workspace: I am not too picky...No windows so I can control the light and a lot of good ventilation. A big door for moving stuff in and out is great too.

If I could have coffee with any creator (past or present) it would be: There are so many! I had a wonderful professor in grad school, Walter Darby Bannard, he passed away several years ago, I feel like I have store of questions I would like to ask. He seemed to bestow wisdom so easily and willingly.

In 2075 I hope my work is remembered for: Strange but familiar landscapes with interesting color and varied surface textures.