We were lucky to catch up with Jill Storey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jill , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I was recently involved in a project to help fundraise for the widow of a local musician, Pinto Bennett. Each year he and his friends would gather together and play for three days, and this time they all gathered to play and honor his memory. Using a photograph taken when he was in the recording studio, I painted a portrait of Pinto alone, spotlit against a dark background. The original pastel painting was auctioned off during the weekend and attendees were able to purchase a limited run of giclee prints. Through this project, I connected with people who told great stories about this much-loved man, and it allowed me to present a sizeable donation to his widow and a keepsake for Pinto’s friends.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a pastelist. It is such a vibrant medium, rich and versatile, and messy and fun to use. One stick of pastel can give me a broad, painterly stroke and also very fine lines and detail, and I love the connection of getting my hands in it without needing other tools.

I create portraits in the traditional, figural sense, but also in the sense that the act of translating what I see from life to paper is portraiture, no matter what I choose to paint. A great portrait is more than just an accurate rendering of physical features, it is a reflection of mood and emotion and a fleeting moment in time. The shadow of a cloud moving across the foothills is the same as an expression flashing across a face, and in any urban scene, the lines and planes of architecture are as fundamental as muscle and bone. I’m not painting a general stretch of river that could be anywhere, I’m capturing this particular river on this particular day. Those who know and love the places I paint can recognize them.

It is always humbling when a viewer connects with my painting and takes the time to share their memories and stories with me. My art is about connecting people with emotion, a sense of place and of memory.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the amount of cultural noise we deal with on a daily basis. The louder and more thoughtless the nonstop buzz surrounding us becomes, the more I find myself driven by the quest for silence and solitude and the need to express those quiet spaces in my art. I paint landscapes that invite a solitary stroll and figures engaged in quiet and contemplative pursuits. By sharing my need for quiet I encourage others to recognize and embrace their own, to take a deep breath and separate themselves from all that noise, if only for a moment.

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

Buy local! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t listen to music or read books and magazines or have art on their walls, and all of these things are being created by people who live in your community. Invest your dollars in your local economy and help your creative community continue to work. Also, artists are business owners with expertise and expenses. Please respect the price they have placed on their work. If an original artwork is beyond your budget, perhaps the artist can provide a more affordable alternative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jillstoreyart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillstoreyart

Image Credits
Jessie Swimeley