Head in clouds, oil on canvas
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.29.2007
Jennifer Kearney loves fantasy. The 34-year-old visual communications and art history double-major is working on a portrait of Boudicca, a Celtic warrior and leader who was captured by the Romans and poisoned herself to avoid torture.
Kearney has spent 16 hours over a few weeks on the oil painting of the blonde warrior and isn't finished yet.
"With oil, you can do thin layers of paint to get vibrant colors," she said.
The walls of her Midtown home are covered with her paintings of fantasy and folklore — an aquatic dragon swimming in dark water, a purple unicorn in front of a big, bright moon and an old, wise dragon giving advice to a fox. She hung them for inspiration.
"There is something really exciting about having your head in the clouds," she said.
Resting on her easel next to Boudicca is a watercolor of a tortoise, lion, bear, rhino, zebra and giraffe that she created for a Reid Park Zoo advertisement. She painted the entire piece in one morning for a class assignment due that afternoon. Usually, she is more cautious with watercolor, because if you make one wrong stroke, it's ruined.
On Ugallery.com, Kearney features four oil paintings: two head studies, plus one of her cat and a portrait of Angelina Jolie. She joined Ugallery after seeing fliers for the site in the UA art building, and has sold two paintings.
Before going back to school, Kearney worked in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas as a graphic designer for McDonnell Douglas.
She will graduate in May, and plans to illustrate children's books or create art for fantasy-related video games or books.
You can see her art at Ugallery.com, or in a group show at the Kachina Lounge and Gallery in the UA Student Union March 27 to April 24.
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