Jennifer Cavan OPS

I studied history in college. I did real estate strategy after that.  But now what I do is make art in New Mexico.  I grew up in the Chicago area.  I went to university in Providence, RI (Brown). I did my corporate work in Chicago (Sears). Now I spend my time creating oil pastel drawings in NM (Angel Fire).

In the last five years, I have participated in numerous juried shows throughout the southwest.  In addition to my working studio, my works may be seen at Blaire Carnahan Gallery, Santa Fe, NM and Angel Fire ArtSpace in Angel Fire, NM. 

Artist Statement

My art is the process of interpreting what I see in the landscape around me.  I hope to capture what New Mexico feels like.  I am inspired by the beauty of my surroundings, the grace of old adobe buildings, the intensity of New Mexican sunlight, and the power of shadow.  I play with the reality of existing landscapes, altering colors and juxtaposing elements of the landscape to create pieces that are the essence of those landscapes. I try to focus on the simplicity of the landscape—the old ranchitos and moradas; the old fences and dirt roads; the magical clouds and starry nights. In doing so, I hope to capture New Mexico’s charm.

I work on colored papers—either colored pastel papers or hand stained watercolor papers.  I apply oil pastels as one would a crayon. I lay the color on the paper, using aggressive to fine strokes.  The more pressure, the more pigment is transferred to the paper. There are no brushes used—just an occasional shaper to push the pigment further into the texture of the paper. I build up areas of color through the application of several layers of oil pastels, leaving some of the underlying paper visible.  Since the number of layers of oil pastels is limited, the colored ground gives me one more level of color and adds depth to the art.

Due to the constraints of the medium—oil pastels get very soft in the sun—I do most of my work in the studio, from photographs I have taken while on location and mental images I have brought back from those places.  I use a final fixative upon completion of each work. Each work is mounted on acid free board and is framed to protect the delicate nature of a work on paper.  I do all this work personally, without the use of assistants or apprentices.

Although I participated in numerous high school and several college-level art courses, I consider myself to be self-taught in the use of oil pastels.  

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