SOMA Living December 2021

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Jennifer Malone is a painter who has lived and worked in Maplewood for more than 7 years. Last month she won first place in the 2021 Art Walk. I caught up with her to ask her about her career.

Please describe your work, your medium/media, and your tools. I am a representational painter. I work solely in oil on stretched canvas. What is your process of creation? I am always observing the world through an artist’s lens. When I see a subject, scene, object of interest, I work to portray it in a way that is interesting to me by way of composition/design, color and contrast. Much of my work focuses on light and shadow which lends itself to being the skeleton of my compositions. What is your inspiration? My inspiration to paint comes from a lifelong love of art. Having been raised in New York, museum visits were routine. The New York art scene when I was growing up in the eighties was very youth-oriented, which made it easy to love contemporary art. And my husband and I have been collecting for nearly 30 years. Once I began painting and finding my voice, I honed in on artists who portray subjects in ways that speak to me. They include Cezanne, Sargent, Sorolla, Picasso, Morandi and Hopper. Do you work at home? I paint in two places. One is at home. The other is at ArtSpace, where various artists have studio space. I have been taking classes for more than ten years from Julie Friedman, who is the owner, as well as a being an artist, educator and friend. At home I work in a spare bedroom converted into a studio. I added a sink so I could contain the mess. Do you live with your work? Until recently, I would not hang my paintings in our living space. But I think as I have become fonder of my work, I am more comfortable having them around. So, I do have one or two hanging at home now. Do you collect/barter with other artists? I do. I have several paintings by Julie Friedman. My kitchen is dedicated to work by people who I have painted with in classes. We have a Wolf Khan print. We also have several paintings by Jean Jack. Hers were the first in our collection.

JENNIFER MALONE

What other artists do you draw inspiration from or are you interested in? There are so many fabulous artists working right now. Lisa Breslow, Ben Aronson, Kara Walker, Carole Rabe, Carlos San Milan, Antonio Barahona, Maggie Siner, Kim English, Jean Jack. I am an admirer of Banksy. His disruptive nature appeals to me. How long have you been working as a full-time artist? About 5 years. What did you do before? I worked in finance for ten years before deciding to change direction. I had planned on retooling to work in design in some capacity. This was delayed by the onset of parenthood. Have you always wanted to be an artist? No. I knew I appreciated art and that I would always seek it out as a viewer. It was by far one of the best decisions of my life to pursue a career in art. Not only is it a wonderful outlet, it is very rewarding. Not much is better than having someone connect with your work. That, and the art community I belong to is utterly fulfilling!

Elizabeth Harrison Kubany is founder of KUBANY, LLC, a communications firm established on her lifelong belief in the power of architecture, design, and art to make the world a better, more beautiful, and more equitable place. She is also the co- founder, with her husband, of Winterhouse Projects, an online gallery platform that promotes the work of emerging artists. @ElizabethKubany

• Snow Removal, Essex County • Steps • Concrete Work • Fencing • Sidewalks & Curbs • Bluestone • Brick & Block • Retaining Walls • Railroad Ties • Keystone • Belgian Block • Stone Work • Masonry • Porches

• New Garages • Foundations • French Drains • Waterproofing Interior & Exterior • Asphalt & Paving

• Patios • Decks • Excavation • Mulching • Soil & Seed • Tree Removal • Top Soil

DECEMBER 2021 | SOMA LIVING 15

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