Page 216 - Masters

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JESSICA FINE

Lives and works in Chicago, IL, USA

SEARCH THE ARTIST ONLINE www.jessicafine.com

Jessica Fine was raised by an antique dealer who quite literally
surrounded her with antiques. Each piece had a different surface for
light to play over- whether it was a translucent Parian bust, a vibrantly
colored ceramic Fu Dog, or the sharp contrast of delicate geometric
tracery of mother of pearl inlaid in an ebony cabinet. Each antique
had two hidden histories, its own, and that of the hand which shaped
it. This awareness, more than anything, shaped her philosophy of
the importance of moving just beyond the real in representational
art. Her goal is to discover and convey that which is uniquely radiant
in each of her subjects, what is essential and permanent within its
transient form. In developing her technique in pastel, she came to
understand how vitally important it was to be flexible. Some subjects
would require beginning with a grisaille, or grey scale study in order
to sharpen the sense of structure within the painting, others would
demand an immediate use of color in the under-painting. Each layer
of a painting is left unblended so that previous layers show through,
allowing the color to be luminous.Her studies in painting at Pratt
Institute, NY, and the School of the Art Institute, Chicago evolved
from the abstract to her current involvement with representational
art. graduating with a BSFA from valparaiso University, IN, Jessica
continued graduate work at Purdue University. Some major artists
who inform her work are: Caravaggio, with his use of chiascuro
(use of dramatic lights and darks), Modigliani, Daniel green, Aaron
Shickler, and Albert Handell.

 ars LONGa, VIta BreVIs est, 2005 PASTEL OvER w/C 38x41 IN. / 95x104 CM.
 aNCIeNt arCHes, 2002 PASTEL OvER OIL wASH 24x28 IN. / 60x71 CM.
 CLOWN GIrLs, 2004 PASTEL OvER OIL wASH 24x30 IN. / 60x76 CM.

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