URCAD Sneak Peek

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:25:52 -0400

See Jennna's paintings on display at URCAD and hear her artist's talk!

Oral Talk Location: UC 312, 1:15 – 1:30 p.m.
Paintings will be on display in the UC Lobby all day.
An Exploration Of The Natural World Through Art: Series Of Landscape Paintings Made With All Natural Pigments
Jenna Beshara, Visual Arts

Mentor: Lee Boot, Visual Arts

Is it possible to make paintings in a traditional manner using a non-traditional medium that better serves environmental concerns than current products sold? My goal is to make a series of landscape paintings all made by natural, foraged goods and turpentine oil, and showcase the paintings as well as the paint-making process. I went abroad for the first time last year to Wales, and the way Welsh culture is deeply integrated into the natural world has guided my art and art process ever since. Acrylic paint is made from plastic, and oil paint can have toxic chemicals, like mercury, that is harmful to the environment. I find it hypocritical that one can be a landscape artist and use these paints, so I’d like to research and experiment with creating my own natural pigment, and mixing those pigments with linseed oil. This series is, at the heart of it, a love letter to the environment, as I find something poetic about making a series of landscape paintings used by natural, foraged ingredients. Additionally, it reflects what I’ve learned in my time abroad, and the respect and connection I gained for the environment and an environment-centered approach to art.