Nature Series

As I wadded through the journey  that is undergraduate self exploration as an art and philosophy major, I was constantly pushing myself to answer the question of, Why? What is it about the basic forms and composition that are found in the natural world around that I find so intriguing? What about this relationship makes me want to continue to explore this relationships in greater detail? 

I wanted to understand the compositional elements that remained consistent throughout the works, to further hone in on what we found to be aesthetically pleasing, and why. I would remain true in form to the subject matter, making somewhat vague generalization while also capturing the essence of what it was in that moment that caught my eye with such intensity. I did not want these works to be literal in anyway. Doing so, my process took on one similar to that of Georgia O'Keeffe's. 

"I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at - not copy it." -G. O' Keeffe

The processes of this theme haven't ended there. As viewers perceive these intentionally untitled works as a whole, they naturally tend to make their own conclusions about the subject matter. Without being instructed in any way, viewers attempt to make generalizations about the concepts of these paintings, and their answers are always organic in nature. 

For me, this speaks volumes about not only similarities in aesthetic quality between all natural and organic things, but also our own cognitive abilities as humans to unknowingly label them as such.

Please  enjoy,

Kayla Jenkins

Untitled_023/2016

Mixed media on wood board. 2 1/4" x 25 1/12" ea.
Original Sold

My boyfriend found these long skinny boards that were the same material as what I had been painting on for this entire series so I was determined to use them- mainly to experiment. I made these huge globs of paint and the dropped colored ink over them and let them run down through the crevasses. It way actually very amusing to watch. This piece ended having almost a retro-fairytale vibe.

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_022/2016

Mixed media on wood board. 12"x 12' ea.
Original $110

I can feel myself, at this point, drifting from my original motif. While I remain wildly mystified by nature in all aspects, I am forced to admit that this series is coming to a closing. As I mature, my mindset, interests and values are altering and with it, my creative inspirations. I believe it is in my nature (no pun intended), or just part of my natural style to paint organic-style forms. At this point, I wanted to explore how I could use these forms to evoke complex emotion in the viewer. Mediums include matte medium and acrylic paint.

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_021/2016

Mixed Media on wood board. 24" x 24".
Original Sold
 

This piece was inspired by a large, extravagantly colored butterfly that I found hanging out on my front door one morning when I came home. I live for moments of inspiration like these when I catch myself saying, "I'm definitely doing a painting about this!" Mediums used include acrylic paint and colored inks.

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_020/2016

Mixed Media on Wood board. 36"x12".
Original Sold

This piece wasn't so objectively inspired either. I definitely wanted to color scheme to mimic something aquatic but the composition ended up being more controlled by the shape of the board I was working with. I really let my mind wander and see what might come of it. Mediums used include acrylic paint, water color pencil, pastels and colored inks.

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_019/2016

Mixed Media on Wood board. 36" x 36".
Original $450
Prints $85-$285
 

The composition of this piece was inspired by some rocks lodged in the ground that I saw while hiking one day. I was specifically interested in the way the roots from the nearby tree intertwined themselves among the rocks, as if they knew to avoid these barriers. Read more about it and see pictures in my blog!

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_018/2016

Mixed Media on Wood board. 50" x 24".
Original $240
 

This piece went through so many transitions as far as it's inspiration goes. Initially, it was the view of a tree in early spring with dead gumballs hanging all over it. The view was looking from inside the third floor or a building, outward through a windows. I decided that I wanted to play with the frame to create the illusion of different dimensions. The color scheme changed more times than I can even count. All in all, the journey though frustrating, was also so rewarding. Mediums used in this piece include acrylic paint, heavy body mediums, colored inks and water color pencil.

©2016 Jenkins

Untitled_017/2015

Mixed Media on Wood Board. 12″x 12″.
Original Sold
Prints $65

When I was as young as I can remember, my parents would drive my brother and me all hours away to go on hikes. That may have influenced this series a bit. It's also kept me in the habit of doing similar things as an adult. Sometimes I would take drive out in the country just to clear my head. There was this one winding creek that followed the road for probably a mile and at some point, there is this enormous tree, with its roots, the size of my arms, draping down the edge of the embankment. This was the inspiration for this piece. Mediums used in this piece include acrylic paint, colored ink and water color pencil.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_016/2015

Mixed Media on Wood Board. 12"x 12".
Original $40

By this time, I've got a good concept of the forms I'm working with and my mindset is shifting more toward my palette. Still with organic inspirations, this piece was inspired by the flow of water into a crevasse between a few rocks, that became less of my focus. Mediums used in this piece include acrylic and oil paint, as well as color ink.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_015/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 12"x 12".
Original Sold
Prints $50

This piece is one of my favorites. I didn't have any subject matter in mind here, instead I just wanted to sit down and really test my palette. I wanted to see how far I could push without it becoming overwhelming. Mediums used include acrylic paint, Water color pencil, and colored inks.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_014/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 12"x 12".
Original Sold
Prints $50

Another shift happens to this series- I revert from subject matter and just start creating compositions from my mind. Compositions are still organic, but I've started toying with different techniques. Medium used include acrylic paint, water based-pastels, colored inks and water color pencils.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_013/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 36"x 36".
Original $230
Prints $95-$285

I found the composition for this piece as I was driving down Il rt 4, having just left Lebanon, and on my way home to visit my parents. I remember so vividly, these rolling hills of farmland, sun setting in the distance past the trees, and these three rolls of hay sitting near the road, as if someone placed them there, just for my muses to take note. Mediums used for this piece include acrylic paint, water based pastels and colored inks.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_012/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 24"x 24".
Original Sold
Prints $75-$175

To be honest, I'm not sure where inspiration for this piece came from. I set out to make something colorful and whimsical and I love how it turned out. Sometimes it's better just to let the mind flow. Mediums used include acrylic and oil paint, water color pencil and colored inks.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_011/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 72"x 12".
Original $230

This piece is much more conceptual than the rest. The composition and color gradation of the circle was made to represent a single drop of water, an essential element of creation. The layered lines of water color pencil and acrylic paint resemble the multiple dimensions of reality that manifest and interact with those essential elements of life. Mediums used in the piece include acrylic paint, water color pencil, water and oil based pastels and colored inks.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_010/2015

Mixed Media on Wood board. 24" x 12"
Original Sold
Prints $65

I actually did this as a commission piece. Nonetheless, it fits the theme of Nature. Mediums used in the piece include acrylic and oil paint as well as colored inks.

©2015 Jenkins

Untitled_009/2014

Mixed Media on Wood board. 24"x 24".
Original $300
Prints $75-$175

I suppose I was becoming very fascinated with circular forms. I was finding that most of my compositions in some way, displays a curved, bulbous structure. For this composition I started with just one large circle on the board, and another small one inside of it. Then I let my mind flow, creating new lines and erasing others to create an entirely new, yet still organic composition. Medium used in this piece include acrylic and oil paints as well as water based pastels and colored inks.

©2014 Jenkins

Untitled_008/2014

Mixed Media on Wood board. 12"x 12".
Original Sold
Prints $50

This piece was created with concept of a water droplet in mind. Ive always found it fascinated the way water, amplifies color. It magnifies and distorts a reflection of the objects around it- a very interesting characteristic for one of the foundations of life. Mediums used in this piece include water color pencil, multiple colored permanent marker, acrylic paints and colored inks.

©2014 Jenkins

Untitled_007/2014

Mixed Media on Wood board. 12"x 12".
Original Sold
Prints $50

You'll see a shift take place in the series, starting with this piece. I was starting to understand the elemental, organic themes behind the forms I was creating, encouraging me to broaden my subject matter to all living things. I remember finding the inspiration for this piece so vividly. Summer of 2017, I had one semester to go to graduate college so I had this cute little town-home style apartment on the outskirts of Lebanon, Il. We were surround by rows of corn and bean with nothing near but a gas station and a La'Quinta Inn. I was riding my bike down the back roads around dusk and just happened to turn my head to catch a glimpse of some unknown flower, maybe even a weed, dancing in the rays of sunlight. Mediums used in this painting include water colored pencil, acrylic paint, pastels and colored inks.

©2014 Jenkins

Untitled_006/2014

Mixed Media on Wood board. 36"x 36".
Original $230
Prints $85-$285

Another artist and close friend of mine posed for this. She also just so happens to be an accomplished power-lifter. The composition was derived from her abdominal area. Mediums used include acrylic paint and colored inks.

©2014 Jenkins

Untitled_005/2014

Mixed Media on Wood board. 48"x 48".
Original Sold
Prints $85-$285

The composition of this piece was derived from the figurative structure of a male hip, oblique, back, shoulder and arm. Mediums used include acrylic and oil paint, water based pastels and colored inks.

©2014 Jenkins

Untitled_004/2013

Mixed Media on Wood board. 48"x 48".
Original Sold
Prints $85-$285

The composition of this piece was inspired by a structure of the female oblique, hip and leg. Mediums used include acrylic and oil paint, water based pastels and colored inks.

©2013 Jenkins

Untitled_003/2013

Mixed Media on Wood board.  24"x 5".
Original Sold

This piece was made to reflect the restless, mysterious waves of the ocean. I found this old piece of wood board and modeling paste in my Dad's garage and immediately visualized creating 3D wave-like forms across it. Mediums used include a molding medium, acrylic paint and ink.

©2013 Jenkins

Untitled_002/2013

Mixed Media on Wood board. 12"x 12".
Original $60

Inspiration for this  was found again, while studying a live model, but this time the composition comes from the models right breast and shoulder.  Forms of the arm and clavicle are dramatized to highlight the aesthetic relationship and movement throughout the piece. Mediums used in this piece include acrylic and oil paints, colored pencils and inks.

©2013 Jenkins

Untitled_001/2013

Mixed Media on Canvas Board. 12″x12″.
Original $60

This piece marks the beginning of the abstract organic portfolio. I may have mentioned before that my initial inspiration for these pieces came from studying the human form during figure drawing classes in college. The bulbous composition was based on the shape of a female model's calf muscle and ankle. Mediums used in this piece include to acrylic paint, oil paint, various textured mediums, Bombay inks and colored pencil.

©2013 Jenkins