Let me introduce myself.
My name is Jeanne Whitney, born a Mahaffey.
I have always been drawing, happily doing sketches of teachers and fellow students in the margins of class notes, sketching my sister and cousins while they watched movies, illustrating the Book of Revelation with all its crazy beasts and horses while the pastor talks on and on. My mother says I was deaf to people talking to me while I was drawing, though I must have heard that pastor.There were useful classes in High School and college at Cornish School of Art and The University of Washington which sharpened my eye and loosened my hand.
When I was a young mom I illustrated about 20 books mostly in watercolor and pen and ink as I could put that work out of harm's way, drying quickly, on top of the refrigerator. As the children grew I did more oil, acrylic and egg tempera painting, becoming a Signature Member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and the Woman Painters of Washington. I won the Daniel Smith Award for my painting "Jon and Ellen."
Illustrating things I have learned, has helped solidify much needed lessons in my thoughts. I call them Picture Parables or Sermons to Myself. For example I painted a girl walking with her anxious head down while swallows are swooping around her joyously, reminding me to "Look at the Birds." Their carefree flight reminds me to follow their example. I did a follow-up painting where a girl loaded down with bags of something heavy, is looks up at bluebirds gladly flying overhead. (Coming soon to this site!)
Doing portraits has been a particular love and challenge, I am caught up in the study of each miraculous and complex personality, folded in light and molded by shadows. I welcome your commissions.
Occasionally people ask if I use projections or tracing and, of course, I don't. Now I have the delight of painting things I love that might also be useful to you for brightening your home, or posing a contemplative question to those seeing it. I am honored you made your way to my website and welcome your questions, suggestions and requests for paintings you wish you could hang in your house.
My art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products.
TECHNIQUES
In watercolor, I do a detailed sketch, then paint using many, many glazes, (layers of transparent washes.) Always balancing almost every stroke with something else that happens in the painting, sometimes with snatches of color, sometimes by deepening or softening values. Most of the creating is in the planning and the last third of the painting. The middle is for accurate and analytic capturing.
In oil, I do a fairly accurate sketch, especially concerning the placement of everything. Then paint for likeness. Generally I use walnut oil to thin the paint. I use my fingers a lot to smooth and blend. Those last touches can go on indefinitely.
Pen and ink, and acrylic are pure play and egg tempera and etching are all inspired, exploratory experiments!
INSPIRATIONS
John Singer Sargent,
Mary Cassatt
Jessie Wilcox Smith
Henry Ossana Tanner
Dean Mitchell
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Illustrating 20 plus books with Outside the Box,
Parenting Press, Chicago Review and so on.
Winning the Daniel Smith Award for my painting "Jon and Ellen"
Doing murals in private homes and churches
Doing stain glass window designs for the Maltby Congregational Church
Painting the retiring John Stamm, President of Trinity Lutheran College in Everett WA.
Painting many portraits for families of children, pets and parents.
Painting portraits of beloved people who are in heaven.
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