Jenna Mae Lineweaver
Oil and Mixed Media Artist
Transformation. Becoming. Rebirth. Awakening
o Explain what you do in 100 words or less:
Henry David Thoreau once asked, what would a person be like who was truly awake? I am fascinated by this idea that there is more inside of us than we realize. It is through struggle that we gain the insight and strength to emerge, to wake up and become who we are meant to be. I like to use images that represent these ideas.
Sometimes it feels like life is beating us up. We have bruises and scars that make us feel ugly. The truth is, rather than being worn out and beat up, we are being shaped, formed and finished. We are Becoming.
I want to capture the different phases that we pass through as we Become. Birth, life, death, even rebirth. I like to explore the conditions, the critical points of crisis, when, like the butterfly, we shake off the cocoon of our old life and emerge into the true brilliance of who we are meant to be.
o What role do you believe an artist has in society?
I believe that my role as an artist is to provide a window into thought and feeling. I want to present people with truths about life and help them to think and feel about them.
o What medium do you most enjoying doing?
I most enjoy mixing my media! I can’t seem to contain myself to one thing. Whatever material lends itself to expressing what I want to say is what goes into my painting. Sometimes it’s paper, sometimes fabric, sometimes beads or buttons, etc. It adds an element of surprise!
o What’s your most memorable experience as an artist?
I’ve had a lot of awesome art experiences but one that comes to mind is when I was at the Museum of Art in Washington D.C. Art has a way of cutting through all of your defenses sometimes. I’d never seen a Van Gogh in real life before and didn’t really think his work was so great. Unexpectedly, I walked into a room and came face to face with a painting of green roses by Van Gogh. The emotional impact of that painting was immediate. It blew me away! I sat there in front of it and cried. I’ve been a Van Gogh convert ever since!
o What’s your favorite artwork by another?
There are so many great artworks that I love. I think that one of my favorites is Minerva Teichert’s Christ in a Red Robe. Oh, I love that painting!
o What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I love it when people really respond to my work. One of my favorite times was when I met a woman, a judge from Canada, who worked in the Youth and Family division. She was looking at one of my paintings. It was a painting of a bird I found one morning after a terrible storm. It was huddled against a wall wet and shivering, its feathers fluffed out, its head hidden under its wing. The sun had not yet come up and it was waiting for its warmth. The title of the painting was “Waiting on the Sun”. She said it reminded her of the tired and battered youth she worked with. She said she was going to hang it in her office to remind herself and others that the sun will come up if you just hang on.
o What is your dream project?
My dream job would be to create a piece of art to hang in a temple.
I wouldn’t mind being compared to Minerva Teichert, Jennifer Rasmussen or Mary Cassatt. These are all artists that I admire immensely.
o Who are three artists you’d like to be compared to?
That’s a good question! My husband often tells me, “Keep it loose, don’t get noodley!” Noodley is a word I picked up from James Christensen that means too detailed. Another one that I heard from Rett Ashby was, “If you have your values (grayscale) right you can get away with murder!” That one makes me laugh!
o What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Some of the exciting things I am involved in right now are 1) The Sears Invitational (Feb 15th-Mar 31st). I won a first place so I’m really excited about it! 2) I just found out that I got into the Oil Painters of America Show that is going to be in St. George this year. I’m excited to be involved in that too. I will be my first national show!
Jenna Lineweaver is March's Featured Artist of the Month. We'll be celebrating her artwork with a reception on March 22nd, from 6-8 pm. This free event is open to the public and will have live music and light refreshments. You can also come by the gallery Tuesday -Saturday from 11 am - 8 pm to purchase her work.