Jeannie started drawing as a child growing up on her grandfather’s farm in East Longmeadow, MA., ‘The Hollywood Egg and Fruit Farm.’ It had a lovely apple orchard and other fruit trees, barns with chickens, and stone walls. In high school she decided to go to art school to pursue her love of drawing and painting, particularly in watercolor. She has a BA in Art and Art Education from Emmanuel College and an MFA from U Mass Dartmouth.
Her paintings are often inspired by the nuances of light and shadow in nature and architecture at various times of the day. Travel to Nantucket, and different cultural landscapes such as the Southwest, Mexico, Caribbean islands, and Europe have influenced her architectural landscape paintings for many years.
Jeannie has also taught art extensively on the high school, college, and continuing education level for many years. She currently teaches drawing and watercolor painting classes at the Northampton (MA) Center for the Arts.
She is a life member of the Artists Association of Nantucket and has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows on Nantucket, Boston, North Shore, New York, the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Cape Cod, and a gallery/ paper studio she owned in Newton, Massachusetts (Studio Paradiso).
I paint primarily in watercolor, acrylic, and ‘pulp painting,’ a technique I learned as an apprentice in papermaking at Rugg Road Handmade Papers in Boston in the 1980’s. At that time I made my own sheets of unique watercolor papers to paint on, which became a part of my MFA thesis.
Nantucket Island, its unique historical town and winding narrow streets that lead out to the moors and pristine, endless beaches, has inspired my painting for over 40 years. I first visited Nantucket in the summer of 1970 and planned to return during college summers, which then became 10 summers! In the early 70’s, Nantucket was a perfect place to live and work for college kids, still very rustic, and low key, yet beautiful. I worked in many gift shops and restaurants over the years including the Crow’s Nest in Harbor Square. I met a great artist and professor in his studio next door, John Lochtefeld. He mentioned the Artists Association, I eventually joined, and became friends with John and his family.
I’m still inspired by the colors of light and shadow at various times of day in Nantucket town, and the rolling moors that lead to the sea. I’ve always felt very connected to the island and still do. My watercolors reflect my search for places of quiet beauty and clean ocean air. I often dream about the old architecture, the sound of the Brant Point fog horn, and landscapes that remain as the soul of the island and its history.