Hi there , Take a Seat. That's a deep statement. It's not necessarily about sitting out, though in some cases it could be. I'm thinking more about taking it in, being in it, all of it, what's around you, inside you, sit with
it. This is what I've learned through a mindfulness meditation practice I've had since 2019. Meditation was introduced to me through a week long online summit, pre-pandemic. I don't recall what prompted me to sign up for it. However, it was life changing: during the summit, after listening to several teachers, I heard former broadcast journalist, Dan Harris, tell his story. He was a recovering addict - to his job, to war, to drugs - and after having a panic attack on live TV, he found meditation. I was hooked. He was an average guy who had found solace in
suffering through something different. I read his book, 10% Happier, and eventually joined a meditation group in NJ. This group and the practice got me through some very difficult moments. After relocating to Durham, I met a neighbor, who told us about a group,
Mindful Families of Durham. After a bit of prodding, encouraging and nudging, we joined as a family almost two years ago. I do think most art-making is meditative in its act, but the work I've been making since 2017, and with this series, Take a Seat, is truly about exploring the general principles of mindfulness, of which I'm still understanding and confused by at times. I'll tell you more about the work below, and hope that it
compels you to see the work, come to a show or ask me more. Creatively,
ABOUT: Caitlin Cary, artist and curator of the Pocket, located within City Market Artist Collective in Raleigh, has invited me for my first solo show since relocating to
NC. Caitlin has selected 5 works, plus one I'm working on finishing, from my Take a Seat series: oils and watercolors depicting inviting chairs in uncertain landscapes. I'm super excited to show these works together, outside of my studio. LOCATION: The Pocket, inside City Market Artist Collective 300 Blake Street, Raleigh, NC DATES: OPENING - 1st Friday, May 3rd, 6 - 10pm show will run through end of July HOURS: Monday / Tuesday
Closed Wednesday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Thursday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Friday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Saturday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Sunday, 12:00 pm - 6:00
pm
Keep following for future events or opportunities tied to the exhibit. Can't make the show? See the work below. Interested in collecting from the show? Contact Caitlin Cary directly -
t. (919) 389-9760 or email ccary2@gmail.com
A Seat in the Snow, 12.5” x 14”, Mixed Media: Image Transfer, Watercolor, Gouache, Nujabi Watercolor Paper (framed in (framed in a white moulding,
narrow, floated shadow box), $650 This may very well have been one of my last
visits to our local preserved park, South Mountain Reservation. It was after a snow, my dog was at the end of his life and had a tremendous burst of energy to run down the paved road, through the snow and ice. The light and ice sparkled - it was a magical moment that I will cherish forever. The chair I placed in this piece was originally called the Wombat Chair, designed in the 1940s by Finnish designer, Eero Saarinen at the request of Florence Knoll (architect and designer). It perfectly represents a seat that embraces the sitter, enveloping them, in a way that one is protected in the womb.
I’ve placed this chair in a couple of other recent works. Turmeric tea was the packaging I chose to place
- in part for it's yellowish tone and anti-inflammatory properties. It's a tea I go to frequently when my immune system is experiencing a flare or my sinuses are starting to rage. Winter is often when this occurs. This is the first time I transferred the tea package as a frieze below the work, rather than layered under the chair. The chair is an invitation to sit in the space - to see the magic of the forest, the road, everything that is in this moment.
"Positive Seat at the Crossroads," 14.5" x 16.25", Watercolor, Gouache, Image Transfer, Watersoluble Crayon, & Tea Staining on Watercolor
Paper. Float-mounted on an archival, Concrete-colored mat board, Framed in a solid wood, maple shadow box frame 20.25” x 22.5”, Glazing is UV, museum-grade
plexiglass $800 This particular piece began in West Orange, NJ, prior to my move to Durham, NC. While you may not notice any particular defining landmarks, the crossroads are two streets I spent most of my time on - either driving into and out
of our neighborhood, or walking the kids to and from school. My partner and I were in the midst of deciding whether or not to sell our home and relocate. It appears I completed this painting sometime in January of 2021, and then we finally decided to sell our home in March. I believe I was simply asking myself to be in that space of the decision. While it was not a simple choice, I recall moving into a place of acceptance and curiosity, rather than one of resistance. Orange is often associated
with creativity, and crossroads are a metaphor of impending change. I don't even know if I was aware of the exactitude of this painting - a crossroads is "a point at which a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences."
“Hay Fever Seat”, 20” x 20", oil & tea package image transfers, cradled wood panel, unframed edges finished with wax finishing paste $800 As part of my Take a Seat series, I have created a painting called "Hay Fever Seat", which depicts a chair in isolation inviting you to sit. This painting is the first in the series to be done in oil and is also the first to be depicted over a grid of image transfers. I used Throat Coat Tea by Traditional Medicinals and Super Antioxidant Green Tea by Yogi Tea to create a gridded surface. Before painting the work, I coated the initial layer of image transfers with
transparent gesso to allow some of the surface to show through. The yellow chair featured in this painting is sourced from a local vintage shop and was chosen for its optimistic yellow color. The chair is suspended in willow vines and peaking through to a misty Spring morning at Duke Gardens. Despite the chair seemingly being unsupported, there's optimism and support in this piece. It speaks to trusting support and finding optimism even when it seems impossible.
Gingered Crooked Creek, 5" x 7" Mixed Media, mounted on cradled panel, $300 A transitionary piece between my TeaScapes and Take a Seat, this work explores the Crooked Creek in my neighborhood; a respite with my kids and my dog, when I need access to water, it's a half mile walk. This piece also explores the addition of absorbent ground, which changes the surface of the paper,
evening out the image transfer to the surface. Waterways in NC often take a muddy, green tone, quite different than my memories of the deeper, cooler bodies of water of the northeast.
"Upside Down Rightside Up," 12.25" x 12.25", Watercolor, Gouache, Watersoluble crayon and Tea Package image transfer on Arches, mounted to a
Cradled Wood Panel & Sprayed with Archival UV Varnish $525 This work was finished at the beginning of the Thrive Together Network virtual residency in September 2023. From my Take a Seat series - it is the first to upend the chair. I was thinking about being tipped over or hanging by a thread when a person is misaligned or experiencing intense stress, and that through the seat we can find stability and
comfort. I’m also very drawn to man made elements in landscapes - like industrial pipes and telephone lines. They both lead your eye in and out, and are a reminder of humanity in the landscape. The landscape in this piece was inspired by the Crooked Creek which runs behind my neighborhood and feeds into the Eno River.
"Dandelion Detox Seat," 8" x 10" Watercolor, Watersoluble crayon and image transfer, absorbent ground, Mounted on Cradled Wood Panel & Sprayed with Archival UV Varnish $450 This work was finished at the beginning of the Thrive Together Network virtual residency in September 2023. From my Take a Seat series -
it is a further exploration of the seat from Upside Down Rightside Up, with a more abstracted exploratory drawing of the seat in the Eno River. Interested in collecting from the show? Contact Caitlin Cary directly - t. (919) 389-9760 or email ccary2@gmail.com Or contact me directly for more info.
ABOUT: Several of Jennie's newer works are included in this group exhibit featuring female and non-binary artists based in the Southeast. This is a part of Thrive Together Network's initiative to support and exhibit art by women-identifying artists. As we get closer to the opening, I'll be sharing works by the
included artists on my Instagram Stories. You can also follow this #TakingUpSpace2024 on Instagram and artists that are exhibiting will be
added. LOCATION: ClearStory Arts
1673 South Holtzclaw
Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404 DATES: May 17 - June
1st
OPENING: Friday, May 17th, 6 - 8pm
CLOSING: Saturday, June 1st, 2 - 5pm
Open by Appointment
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