Jessica Wicken - Artist - Denver, Colorado

American Art Awards

2011-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Heyyyyy - I submitted two paintings for the online art competition - With winners from 20 countries - art juried by 25 respected galleries around the USA and both pieces won awards. 1 in the Impressionist Animal category (3rd Place) and the other in the Asian category (6th Place)

Both paintings are at the Great Western Art Gallery, Denver, for my personal show September through mid-October.

July Hot Spots

2011-07-11T21:34:00.001-07:00

Couple things - July 16 and 17 I'll be in Evergreen at the Summerfest Arts Festival, located at the Buchanan Park at Squaw Pass Rd., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I'll be showing landscapes, animals and small paintings.

Great Western Art Gallery, 1455 Curtis St. Denver, is showing my recent still lifes and people through the rest of the summer.

June Art Jumpin'

2011-05-29T20:13:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago I went to Taos, New Mexico, with the Plein Air Artists of Colorado, and enjoyed painting with new friends and visiting my old friend, Sandra. I was reminded of the first time I saw Taos while traveling from New York to Los Angeles, spending a week in April with Sandra who I've known since childhood in Pittsburgh, PA. I had abandoned painting for acting at that time of my life, but when I experienced the unusal beauty and light of New Mexico, I thought how I would love to paint again, and live near there. So I decided to dedicate the month of June to showing my Taos paintings at the Great Western Art Gallery, 1455 Curtis St., Denver, CO. The gallery is open late Friday and Saturdays through the summer.

The other event this month is the annual Summer Art Market - at the Art Students League of Denver - a verrrrrry wonderful, probably the best, art fair in Colorado, June 11 and 12 at 2nd and Grant St. Booth # 115. See ya there!

Almost Spring

2011-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Art Lovers

With Spring beckoning, creativity gets a boost. I'm inspired lately to paint my favorite subject - People - and at least until the flowers are in full bloom, my paint brushes will be playing with the moods and beauty of willing subjects. Check out my Figurative work on my website.

You might want to commission a piece for Mother's Day.

New Year New Art

2011-01-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello cyberspaced art people who might peruse this blog, I wish you all a magnificent new year. This past year we spent time along the Pacific coast and I finished some paintings inspired there. I love to paint children at the beach, maybe because those are my first memories in life when we lived 1 block from the ocean in Cape May Point, NJ until I was five. Mostly they remind me of the natural ability of children to immerse themselves in the almost mystical experience of the sea, foam, sun, sound, breeze without a care in the world. A state adults strive for and still have within them waiting to be unlocked.

Going to Greece

2010-11-13T20:41:00.001-08:00

I have been waiting for confirmation and this week found out my painting "Daylight Dissolving" was chosen to hang in the American Embassy in Athens. The Ambassador is from Colorado and will take a reminder of the beauty of Lake Dillon at dusk.

October-November

2010-10-20T07:57:00.001-07:00

I'd rather be painting than blogging, so I haven't been too great at keeping up with the writing, and I suppose most artists would rather have their work speak for them. Late Summer and early fall saw many artists out painting "plein air" and to cap it off there is an exhibit Denver Plein Air 2010 from Nov. 9-Dec 31 at the Library at 13th and Broadway, top floor gallery. One of my paintings "Neither Do They Toil" a celebration of Calla Lilies, will be part of the show. Besides that I have been doing a series of "street life" small paintings in preparation for a couple Holiday Miniature Shows coming up, which will be on my calendar as soon as I know the dates.

While it has been a tough time to be an artist, we are still creating and many people are still choosing to add something lasting, inspiring and beautiful to enhance their homes. A home without art, hmm - can't imagine - dry, arid, well, I'd have to go out and get some!

2010-08-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Jumpin' July

2010-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have a show at Great Western Art Gallery, 1455 Curtis St., downtown Denver near the Performing Arts Center, with an opening Friday evening the 9th. The show goes until August 13. Their website is www.GreatWesternArtGalleryLLC.com for more info.
The following weekend July 17-18, I will be in Boulder for the art fair on Pearl St., sharing a booth with Phil Rader.

My studio is finished, structurally at least, organizing it is another story. But I'm thrilled. I have been waiting for this day for years! I will be having open studio visits starting in Sept.

June is Busting Out

2010-06-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

June beauty may be the most inspiring month for art and fun. The artworld is blooming with art fairs and art shows. This "First Friday" of the month, Artwork Network will have an opening featuring my landscapes showing all month. They are at 878 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, the heart of a thriving art district that is very lively every First Friday. Then two weeks later, June 12 and 13 is the popular Summer Art Market at the Art Students League of Denver, (200 Grant St.) where fine art by professionals and students is available at affordable prices. I'll be sharing a booth, #41. Hope to see ya!
Meanwhile, our Studio/Garage project forges on - oofda - we have a lot of stuff!

2010-05-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

May Days

2010-05-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

A piece I did my last year in college, "Pride" or "Black Madonna" is part of the permanent of the Denver Library - Blair -Caldwell African American Research Library. It was a painting I did and sold many years ago that was returned to me when the owner went into a nursing home. I always felt it was a captured a very specific phase in the history of the civil rights movement in one African-American woman and her baby boy. Anyway, I am very pleased to know it has a home where it can be appreciated for its historical and artistic content.

We are getting closer to a studio reality - I'm hoping by the end of this month! Until then, I'm still painting people at the Art Students League of Denver, monitoring Mark Daily's class - and I'm adding a few of those paintings. Next month I'll have a showing of my work at Artwork Network in Denver, then in July a special show at Great Western Art Gallery. Is it Spring yet?

Signs of Spring

2010-04-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

April - New things are sprouting up every day, and in my art world two new things are happening. (1.) We are working on turning our funky old garage into a light and spacious studio where I can create, teach, invite other artists to paint with me, hire models, have open studio invites, and retreat from the drag and call of domestic chores. (2.) Hey, I'm blogging!! Here goes ---

Art wise, Since the year began, I've been the monitor for Mark Daily's Figure Painting class at the Art Students League (setting up the models and lighting) getting the benefit of Mark's keenly discriminating eye. I will soon be adding some new paintings to the figure section of my website. People are still the most challenging and fascinating subject matter, but the spring weather is calling for some plein air expeditions.

The temporary gallery (Janan) is closed now - alas - it was a great location and I sold quite a few paintings. I'm still showing work at Great Western Art Gallery downtown Denver, and will be having a special show the end of July.