About Jeannie Sellmer
Artist Statement
Color, form, texture, and line are the primary guiding elements when I paint. I am interested in making paintings that evoke both a sense of energy and contemplation, inviting the viewer to engage in the visual field with a sense of meandering exploration and open interpretation.
My inspiration is influenced by nature and organic forms. The stimulus of colors, music, visual memories, sensations, and impressions evoke emotion and generate ideas that are interwoven through the evolution of the painting.
As I work on a painting, I build the surface by applying multiple veiled layers of oil paint over many sessions. It changes with each additional layer, retaining traces of previous marks and colors and obscuring others, creating a depth and history as a result of this approach. Although I may begin a painting with a general concept of what I want to convey, I don't let it limit or constrain me and prefer to let the process of painting itself serve as a guide or road map to the finished result.
I like to keep my approach spontaneous, working the surface while creating an interplay of subtle transitions of color and texture, resulting in a complex and nuanced surface of color harmony and balance.