We were lucky to catch up with JENNIFER GLASS recently and have shared our conversation below.

JENNIFER, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid. What would you do if you couldn’t fail? Look at it like this. What would really happen? So what…. Close your eyes and do it. So I’m always trying to push my own limits. The risk is just buckling down and getting to work! Stop sitting around waiting for some magical inspiration. You have to jump in the deep water and take the risk. You can’t sit around and wait until you feel inspired; nothing gets done sitting on the bench waiting and hoping and wishing. You have to get up and just start doing the uncomfortable work. Start doing something-anything. Once you begin, something happens and then something else happens. Usually it’s not the direction you intended, it probably sucks in the beginning but it has to for you to grow – but that’s when I just go for it and I get into ‘the flow’ and I allow the process because all the best ideas come from the process and the work itself. That’s always when the magic happens. Always.

JENNIFER, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised on a barrier Island on the Florida Space Coast. I was actually born in what was then called Cape Kennedy hospital. I witnessed the very first shuttle launch and every single launch afterwards. This flora and fauna on this Island and the space exploration program has shaped my life and has become part of my being more ways than I’ve ever imagined. I’ve spent over two decades documenting this extraordinary area I’m lucky to call home and It now seems to just flow through me when I create as freely as water flows. I see this in those I grew up with as well. It’s quite special. There’s just something magical about this place. There’s something magical about the water. There’s something magical about the air. It gets inside you and it changes who you are on a molecular level. We’re definitely a different breed here on this Island and I’m forever grateful for it. I created most of my work from the local ocean and river waters I grew up with- I want water to surround me because if you study the science of water, it holds energy. In many religions most prayers, baptisms, and ceremonies are done with water’s presence because water catches positivity from the prayers. This is why I use our local waters to create my artwork. It’s positive energy now lives inside each individual piece. I can feel it all around me all the time.

My other lifelong subjects are flowers, birds and butterflies because of their powerful symbolism. I surround myself with birds and butterflies so when times get rough, I’m reminded to trust our transformational process, especially when it feels overwhelming. It can be painful and difficult when we outgrow a relationship, job, or habit because we are moving from something comfortable we understand to the painful unknown.

Growth often feels like intense upheaval with things falling apart. Just like the butterfly slowly growing and working its way out of its tiny chrysalis. During the change of a caterpillar into a butterfly, It is extremely difficult and painful for the caterpillar to undergo its metamorphosis. This process feels painful and confusing, but the entire time their wings are gaining strength preparing itself for the other side; things it doesn’t even understand are possible in its current form. On the other side is flight. On the other side is unimaginable insight, expansion, connection, and freedom. This is discomfort that is worthwhile and meaningful. Growing pains, usher in beautiful new life.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Five years ago I took business and marketing classes at Wharton and it blew my mind! I wish I’d taken my father’s advice much earlier on in my career and studied business and marketing because this is such a valuable resource for artists success. I have witnessed firsthand the most talented artists fail time and again because they lack the ability to market themselves and get their work out in front of the right audience. I’ve also repeatedly witnessed the most average artists absolutely thrive because they were brilliant at marketing themselves. These resources are available for everyone and should be the first priority to avoid struggling.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My entire 30 year career is one constant pivot. I think that’s what artists have to do. I started out in the darkroom developing film in the 80’s. Then all of a sudden early 2000’s digital came along and it was almost impossible to find film so I had to learn digital. I bought a digital camera, Canon 5d, and hated it. That’s when I began creating my massive cyanotypes on canvas project because they didn’t require a camera or film. So that was my anti digital pivot. It actually launched my career. I continued working with alternative film processes and creating dozens of cameraless bodies of work. I was devastated when Agfa went out of business because I have an entire body of landscapes with their paper. So I flew to France and bought up whatever I could and printed dozens and dozens of prints. Those landscapes are then hand painted with oils. I’d say my portfolio consists of 75% of this work today. My next pivot was during COVID and my studio was closed. I couldn’t work and was going stir crazy so I began painting. I realized I absolutely loved it! Now I paint all the time. Some on plain canvas and some over my cyanotypes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Jenniferglassartist.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenniferglassartist?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenglassstudio?mibextid=LQQJ4d