ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jenn Crisan is a contemporary abstract artist. Born and raised in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, her family recognized her interests and abilities at an early age, enrolling her in art classes consistently throughout her childhood. This exposed her to many different forms of visual art. After high school Jenn attended Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. She pursued intensive studies in painting, drawing, art history, philosophy and aesthetics, graduating with a BFA in fine art and painting. Jenn currently resides in Sharon, Pennsylvania and has been exhibiting her work since 2006. Her abstract landscape paintings have been awarded top prizes in juried art exhibits and have been seen in invitationals nationwide.
My paintings are an exploration of things seen and unseen. Inspired by seaside cottages, village scenes, and romantic rural landscapes, I use bold, simplified shapes, abstractions, and a unique, minimal color palette. I am an artist who sees the beauty in that which may otherwise seem ordinary and draw inspiration from the everyday. My work reflects time spent along the coast and in the northeast as well as my travels across the country. Creating a simplified composition, my goal is to remove extraneous details, leaving only a few elements that create an intimate, harmonious painting. Manipulating thick slabs of paint on the canvas with a palette knife to build texture and form is an intense process. The composition often changes as the painting develops. The ever-present horizon line, along with ordinary objects are critical components of my work. Infused with vigorous energy, these contemplative yet simple and subtle images entice the viewer into my sparse, and seemingly uninhabited landscapes. I have long been influenced by the works of Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, and Winslow Homer. A piece may not speak to everyone, but there will be someone out there who is moved and inspired.
