The talented Jaime Rovenstine let us in on her creative process and inspiration for her art. Read on below!
Museum professional by day, painter by night, Jaime Rovenstine is an abstract artist and working mom. Jaime’s abstractions, informed by the artist’s intuitive sense of color and space, are intended to inspire a sense of wonder in the viewer. The formal elements within each work—loose, painterly washes of vibrant color, geometric forms, ribbon-like lines, and obsessive clusters of dots – are arranged to create dream-like landscapes and floating biospheres.
Artist Statement:
I create abstract, dream-like landscapes and floating biospheres, inspired by natural organisms, and informed by an intuitive sense of color and space.
I view my paintings as windows into a sort of dream-world of color and joy.
My process begins with a specific color palette and a ground of painterly brushstrokes. The first layer establishes the direction of the piece, with one layer informing the next. I continue to layer color, form, and detail until composition feels grounded and solid, with a sense of pulsation and organic growth. The paintings include elements of geometric structure and pattern, as well as areas of organic, loose abstraction and obsessive, repetitive detail. The color is inspired the natural world, as well as commercial consumption – style blogs, Instagram, movie stills and magazines.
Jaime Rovenstine
Instagram: @jaimerovenstine
I am inspired by: I’m just going to say EVERYTHING! My eyes are always open. I take a lot of photographs and screen captures on my phone. I’m inspired by travel, cities, being in nature, instagram, Pinterest, blogs, other visual artists, graffiti, movies, documentaries, catalogs. We are living in such a cool time when such rich visual content is so readily available. My day job is working at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, so I am continually surrounded by art–ancient to Contemporary, books about art, and people who love art.
My favorite creatives are: David Bowie, Kehinde Wiley. Kirra Jamison. Kindah Khalidy. (people whose names begin with K, apparently.) Contemporary aboriginal artists and collectives. Heather Chontos. Danielle Krysa. The Land of Nod as a company!
I would describe my process as: Intuitive. Meditative. I am often working on multiple canvases at a time. I’ll start one until I am stuck or need a break from looking at it and then work on another one for a while.
In my studio, I can’t live without: Wifi. Coffee. Music. Audiobooks. Podcasts. If I’m not listening to something, I often have the Office or 30Rock or Harry Potter movies going in the background. Shows I’ve seen so many times, I don’t actually need to watch the screen.
The three words that best describe my work:Geometric. Organic. Dynamic.
Jaime Derringer recently described my work as “giant space party,“ which was the best and most accurate description ever.
The best advice I’ve ever received as an artist:Not advice from a person, but this quote by Andy Warhol has always resonated with me:
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol
I have a BFA in studio art, but sell prints on Etsy. I’m continually straddling a line between Fine Art and design, and figuring out which side I belonged on used to worry me. But I’ve come to realize that it just doesn’t matter. My art practice is my own. Coming to terms with this was extremely freeing!
To me, my art is: A desire to create joy and beauty and hope.
My print will look perfect in: Any room! your bedroom, your office, your dining room, a nursery.
Thanks for your wonderful thoughts and words of wisdom, Jaime!
