Congratulations to artist Jenna Ferguson, our latest Instagram winner! Jenna, a mixed media artist who lives near Loch Lomond in Scotland, creates seascapes and lochside scenes using layers of gold leaf, acrylic paint, and resin: "The main feature of these pieces is the gold leaf which glows when it catches the light, just as water does in sunlight."
Does where you're from or where you currently live influence your work?
Yes! The majority of my work is inspired by water; the ocean, rivers, and Lochs. Living next to Loch Lomond gives me a lot of inspiration for my work! I find walking by the Loch to be incredibly calming, and I try to recreate the soothing effect of being by water in my paintings. I’m particularly inspired by the way light dances on water, and I try to layer mediums to create luminosity and depth.
What's your art background? Are you self taught or did you study art?
I did a Master’s degree in Art Psychotherapy, and prior to becoming an artist I worked as an art therapist. My training as an art therapist has had a significant influence on my work as an artist. I have an awareness of how art can be hugely supportive of emotional wellbeing and mental health. In my practice as an artist, I’m always drawn to creating art that feels calming and soothing, and to
art processes that ease my anxiety as I work.
Describe the type of art you create.
I create artwork that’s inspired by water. My most recent collection of paintings are
seascape/lochside scenes which are created using layers of gold leaf, acrylic paint, and resin. They are very detailed whilst also trying to maintain simplicity for visual impact. The main feature of these pieces is the gold leaf; which glows when it catches the light, just as water does in sunlight.
Are you a full time artist or do you create around work hours?
I’m a full time artist, and I work my hours around looking after my two young daughters. I hire a studio in a community centre locally to me, but I also do a lot of my work from home as it’s convenient for squeezing in painting time whenever I can!
What do you love about the mediums that you use?
I love materials that feel luxurious to use! I’ve always been drawn to using gold in my art; I just find it so beautiful. Combining gold with resin is so visually striking; I don’t think I could ever tire of that combination! I love the contemporary finish that resin gives my paintings.
Until recently, most of my art was created using alcohol inks. I absolutely adore the fluidity of inks, and the way they create so many beautiful surprises as they merge together and dry. I find the process of using them is completely mesmerising.
My more recent work has been using acrylic paints. I’m enjoying using a slower painting medium; the process is completely different to working with alcohol inks, but I love the richness of the paintings and the process of mixing colours.
When did you discover resin? How has it impacted your artwork?
I first started using resin in 2017. As soon as I discovered fluid art I was hooked! I’ve used resin in my art ever since.
Resin has given my work increased depth, in a way I don’t think I could achieve using any other medium. It makes finished artworks incredibly eye-catching. The possibilities for creating art with resin are endless and exciting! I love the contemporary finish resin gives my paintings.
Can you provide a brief rundown of your process?
My most recent collection involves carefully covering my painting panel with gold leaf, to create a basis for the work. I work in layers to build depth, often using warm colours to compliment the use of gold. My paintings are often highly detailed, so that it gives the effect of sunlight glimmering on water. This can mean they often take me quite a lot of time to complete! I finish my paintings with a
clear coat of art resin, to protect the artwork underneath and add that gorgeous shine.
Why do you want to make art? What motivates you to create?
I create art for many reasons. Often, I find it soothes my anxiety and brings me calm. I also get huge enjoyment and satisfaction from creating something beautiful, and I love to experiment with combining different materials.
A big motivation for me is building a business that allows me to work flexible hours around caring for my daughters. I want to be there for them as much as I possibly can whilst they are growing up. As they’re getting a bit older (they’re aged 5 and 7 now), they’re showing more and more interest in my artwork. I love involving them in what I do, and it feels special to me that they’re growing up surrounded by art. Art is often a topic of conversation in our house! I hope that they grow up finding their own creative expression in a way that feels meaningful and beneficial to them.
Something that means a lot to me are the wonderful messages I receive from my collectors, as well as people who see my work on Instagram. As I’ve mentioned, creating art supports my own emotional wellbeing. But to hear that it can also support the emotional wellbeing of others means more to me than I can say. People have told me my paintings have deeply connected with them, have allowed emotional release, and have made them feel calmer. The concept of Glimmers is also something that resonates with many, and I love combining my artwork with this mental health term, in a way that is meaningful and impactful.
I’ve written a blog post explaining what the term ‘glimmers’ means, which you can read here: What are glimmers and how do they relate to my art collection?
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Yes. I do sessional work with a wonderful local arts organisation called Clifftop Projects (https://clifftopprojects.co.uk). My role is to hand out free art supplies to school children every week. I’ve also been involved in designing the art tasks they give out, as well as co-facilitating workshops/outings. I love this work, and it’s given me a community connection that I previously didn’t have when I was working solely as an artist. Sometimes working as an artist can feel quite isolating, so I really value this community link.
What do you hope someone sees or feels when they look at your art?
In my new art collection, titled Glimmers, I hope that when someone looks at the painting they’re able to feel the sense of calm I experienced in creating it. I hope that viewing the artwork sparks a reminder to look for ‘glimmers’ in life and to become more intentional in noticing them. I want the paintings to bring joy!
I use positive affirmations as the titles for these pieces, as I want to strengthen the link between the artwork and mental health and wellbeing. Every painting has its positive affirmation title written onto a beautiful postcard, so that it can be displayed in the collector’s home alongside the piece. My hope is that the artwork, along with the affirmation, contributes to improving mind-set, feeling gratitude, and evokes those positive emotions that people often feel when looking at sunlight on
water.
How do you define success as an artist? What does success look and feel like for you?
That’s a hard question! I think success can mean very different things for me. It’s joy in the creative process – find those beautiful moments of creative flow and getting lost in the enjoyment of experimentation and mark-making. It’s that feeling of satisfaction and pride in creating something beautiful – bringing ideas to life and having artwork I’ve made with my own hands. It’s the feedback from others about the various ways my art has positively impacted them. It’s knowing that my
daughters are growing up with art being a huge part of their lives, and seeing that their mummy is doing something she loves. And success is also about being able to contribute to our family income, by selling my artwork to wonderful collectors internationally.
Where do you sell your work?
I sell my art on my website, www.JennaFergusonArt.com. My work is also stocked in a beautiful interior design studio in Edinburgh, Scotland, called Studio 38
(38 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh, EH7 4JR). Their website is www.Studio38edinburgh.co.uk
Visit her website: www.jennafergusonart.com
Congratulations on your win, Jenna!
Every month, to celebrate our community of artists, ArtResin will send out a 32 oz kit to two lucky people who have tagged us on Instagram, showing the work they've created with ArtResin.
Don't forget to tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next winner!
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