Jen Spaker "Landscapes Across the South"

“For 2020, I decided to try something new – creating large landscape paintings. Many of these paintings were adapted from smaller plein air or “on location” sketches and paintings. Others are of scenes I photographed while taking evening walks or on long drives. While I’ve painted large paintings before, I’ve never done an entire show of paintings of this scale.

A lot of these paintings are based on scenes from The Low Country of South Carolina or the Fort Mill and Rock Hill, SC area. The “October River” is the Catawba River in Rock Hill. The “Golden Spice” and “Field Day” paintings are from the wooded trails around Fort Mill. I like to paint my surroundings and since I recently moved from Fort Mill to the Charleston area, I’ve had lots of new exposure to Low Country scenery. “Evening Pond” is a scene from the ponds around my temporary apartment in Mount Pleasant, SC prior to moving into my permanent home in the same town. Other South Carolina scenes are represented in “Old Marion Road” from the Florence area and in “Gervais Street Bridge” from here in Columbia.

Sometimes I like to take a break from landscapes. The barn paintings come from scenes in Virginia and West Virginia photographed during drives to Pittsburgh, PA to visit my extended family. The Converse sneakers may seem a bit out of place with all the landscapes but come from a fun personal story that I’d be happy to tell you. I paint a lot of still life as well, but that’s for another show.

I paint in both oil and acrylic which creates a different effect. I love the colors and softness of oil paint, but also love the fast-drying acrylics because I can paint quickly, and the cleanup is so easy. I’m often more attracted to the shapes, shadows and design of a scene rather than the actual subject matter. I enjoy painting directly from life and feel strongly that it makes me a better painter. I drag my easel outside in all types of weather and just paint, paint, paint.”    -Jen Spaker

City Art Gallery is located at 1224 Lincoln St. in the historic Congaree Vista area in Columbia, South Carolina.  Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. until 6 p.m., Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  For more information, contact Wendyth Wells, City Art Gallery, at 803-252-3613.  Visit online at www.cityartonline.com