Luxury Life & Style - (Page 37)

the arts by julie riggott sweet serenity the art of jenny simon J enny Simon’s abstract paintings are full of warmth. Browns that are almost golden, watery blues and rich reds shine as if the oil paint were still wet. The texture, created by layers of overlapping colors, gives Simon’s art an organic quality, the canvas becoming tree bark or rippling water. “I love the smooth finishes and textures together. I’m just crazy for texture,” the artist says, brushing her fingers across one of her oil paintings hanging in her living room. Thick paint is always tempting to touch (if you’ve seen a Van Gogh, you know), and Simon completely encourages that. “I always tell my clients they can touch [the paintings] because texture to me is so important.” Inspired by nature and her emotions, Simon’s work avoids the coldness that characterizes some contemporary abstract art. “To me, art is interesting when it shocks you, but I wouldn’t want that in my house,” she says. “In my house, I want serenity. That’s my main goal: to get serenity from my own artwork.” Simon’s home, nestled in a community beneath towering mountains, is filled with her artwork. Her paintings hang in every room, even the guest bathroom, which has a work with drips of paint so thick the lighting creates shadows on the canvas. Simon has been working exclusively in oils since 1995. In a studio at the back of her spacious garage, canvases hang on the walls in various stages of completion. “I put on different layers of oil and let them dry. When the next layer is kind of dry, I scrape with my hands or tools and get wrinkles and let that dry totally and go over it with other colors,” she says of her technique. March/April 2008 Luxury Life & style 37

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Luxury Life & Style

Editor's Letter
Carte Blanche
Home
The Arts
Seen in the South Bay
People
Drive
Fashion
Seen in the South Bay
Travel
The Cellar
Dine
Vacation Properties
Coda

Luxury Life & Style

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