Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Elaine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am a self-taught artist, so I had to learn my craft from experience. I also utilized YouTube videos for specific techniques that I had questions about, such as placement of shadows and highlights. I created a network of fellow artists with different skillsets to help each other develop our craft. More advanced artists were able to help me paint more realistic without losing my creativity. I have never wanted to paint “hyperrealism” because I feel like you can take a picture or have a photoshoot if you want hyperrealism. Art is an escape from reality for me.

My collectors, audience, and fellow artists tell me that my blending skills and use of color are top-tier. I taught myself what colors complement each other to create different color palettes for each painting. I’ve always loved color, so I’ve never been scared to use different colors in my artwork, I also prefer to dry blend instead of using water, which is a skill that can only be learned from practice and experience.

I learned to paint what I love and found my niche, while learning new art skills to increase the amount of detail in each masterpiece. I recently learned how to incorporate even more texture in my art from one of my friends, who happens to also be an artist.

I have learned to do what works best for me while creating art. What might work for one artist, might not work for me and vice versa. I developed my own style to separate my art from others.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Professional Fine Artist blessing homes and offices with beautiful Black art around the world. In 2004, My world revolves around my two sons. In 2010, I relocated to Memphis, TN and I’ve embraced the city with my creativity and ambition.

God revealed my passion and natural talent of painting in the summer of 2015 after my ankle was fractured in three places immobilizing me for 8 weeks. While I was healing, I decided to teach myself how to paint and develop my craft. It was like art therapy: comforting to the bones and soothing to the soul. I have always known how to draw and sketch, but it wasn’t until I picked up the paintbrush that I fell in love with creating masterpieces.

I create phenomenal paintings that display Black women in a positive light, embracing their natural kinks and curls graced with melanin-rich skin. My art is internally driven, like a gateway to the soul. illustrating the beauty, power, dopeness, and resilience of Black women. I love big, natural Afrocentric hair and bright engaging colors, so most of my artwork displays Black women with kinky curly hair accompanied by a vibrant, colorful background.

I’ve been successfully selling my artwork online since September 2015, so I decided to open my art gallery in November 2019. My gallery displays and sells that artwork of 11 Black artists, including myself. I also host gallery events, paint parties, art camps, and private art lessons. I also allow people to rent the gallery for their own private events.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The most obvious way to support artists and creatives is to buy our art. Art is an investment and its value appreciates with time increasing your net worth. Most artists, like myself, have a wide pricing model to accommodate every consumers’ budget. For example, not everyone can afford an original painting, so collecting a canvas or fine art print may be more cost efficient for their budget.

Another way to support artists to create a thriving creative ecosystem is by attending art exhibitions and events. Invite your family, friends, and colleagues to attend art events to become potential art collectors. Word of mouth is the BIGGEST marketing tool for artists. Follow artists on social media and share our artwork to increase our reach to new potential art collectors.

Donate to art organizations that give back to artists. It would also help if organizations gave more grants to creatives instead of loans to help us flourish and be successful as full-time artists.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are several rewarding aspects of being an artist, such as seeing my own growth in every new painting, creating inspiration for others, and making a living from my creativity. I never fathomed that I would have artwork in almost every state and 3 different countries. I also love that I will forever be an art student because I learn and teach myself new skills every day.

Now to answer your question, one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is being able to create freely with no rules or boundaries, while sharing my gift with the world. I have never put myself in a box, so I paint what I dream or imagine. Even when I do have a reference image, I still paint how I see the subject with no rules. My creative eye is definitely a gift that has made room for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: orijennalart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/orijennal_art
• Facebook: facebook.com/orijennalart