We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenny Fassino. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenny below.

Jenny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Moving over ten times in twenty years, I had to continuously emerge as a new female artist in every city. Wanting my art to stand out, I needed to take more risks within my own work. I was told repeatedly by others that if I wanted to succeed I had to follow the rules of art with color, technique and composition. Going against this advice, I continued to add and remove layers of paint, developed my own textures and techniques to create pieces that spoke to me emotionally and represented the stories I wanted to tell. There was always the risk of ruining a piece. But over time, I realized that the imperfections and markings in my paintings mimic my life and my collectors connected with these imperfect pieces and the stories they represented.

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 large-scale abstract arylic artist currently living in Raleigh, NC whose art is known to be thought provoking and conversational. Spending most of my youth in South Florida, my early works were influenced by architectural elements seen in Miami’s Art Deco Districts. My style is influenced from having lived near art communities outside Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Western Canada and Kobe, Japan. I reflect on my journey as I paint and work to form a connection with the viewer. My travels to Central and South America, Europe, Dubai and throughout Asia have added to my cross-cultural experiences as an artist and has given me a broader perspective of how art plays a role in our society.

My artwork can be found in collectors homes throughout the US. My art has been displayed in Atlanta and throughout the Raleigh area including 2022 Parade of Homes, First Friday Solo Exhibits, Local Art Galleries and this year’s High Point Fall Market.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

We must continue to educate youth by supporting all forms of art in schools and reinforce the value of art in our communities. Art stimulates creative thinking and is needed across our science, technology and mathematic curriculums. Creative classes allow our children to try new ideas and opens their minds to thinking outside the box and to see things from a different perspective. I enjoy hearing the imaginative stories from children who see my art. They reinterpret the meaning of the painting through their own lens and then go on to communicate their ideas and emotions with others. Today, our children need a safe place where they can learn about art and express their feelings through drawing, paint, sculpture, music and theater.

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

The biggest pivot in my life was living abroad in Japan and adopting our daughter. During the five years in Japan, I volunteered at the local orphanage daily, offering me a unique and rare insight into Japanese culture and philosophies which helped shape my work today. Currently my art is more free flowing, allowing shapes and texture to move throughout the canvas. I keep the Japanese philosophies that I learned in mind when I paint, reminding me that in life all things are not perfect. While painting today, I try to uncover the cracks and flaws in my art and celebrate the beautiful characteristics that emerge within each piece. Keeping the stories in mind from the people I have met over the years, I use emotion to help dictate the direction of each painting.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jennyfassino.com
• Instagram: @jennyfassino
• Other: [email protected]