Dolores Jensen

Artist Statement

I started my art career in 1984 after receiving my AAS degree in Advertising, Design, and Commercial Art from St. Louis Community College in Florissant Valley. I worked for several companies as a board artist, designer and art director until 1991. I then started a graphic design business with a college friend. In 1998 I began homeschooling my daughters. In 2010 I taught art classes for homeschoolers age 12-18.mFrom 2016 to 2021 I was the Art Department Head at a homeschool hybrid academy and taught Art History Workshop painting classes in my home studio.

I began teaching myself mediums to increase my skill in teaching others. Teaching really made me think about what I was doing so I was able to describe techniques to my students. This method had the added benefit of increasing my skills along the way.

For the last five years I have primarily focused on my art. Since I have the experience of working in several mediums for teaching my process has grown combining those mediums in a single piece of art. I utilize whatever tool(medium) is needed to get the idea in my mind onto the art piece. My pieces may include five different brands of colored pencils, each offering different blending and color choices and gamsol solvent to aid in blending. I also use an ink-based watercolor pencil, pan pastels, pastel pencils and occasionally ink, gold leaf or even acrylic paint. When working on a body of work, I make sample sheets and take notes on the medium, brand, colors, use of solvent and the order they were used. Each time I learn more about my tools and increase my skills. I especially love pushing the medium to the point where even other artists aren't initially sure of what medium I am using. I am often asked if it is drawing or painting, the answer is yes, a bit of both.

I am mostly inspired by birds and animals, imagining their personality. Their portrait is invariably altered from the original photo by whimsy and vibrant color. Recently I have begun to put the animals in clothes that tell a story. As I work, their personality grows. One of the main purposes of my art is to reflect the beauty of our world. As I am increasingly inspired by the one who created us, I eagerly work to produce art showing that creator to others.