Jen Evenhus

Images are sample works. Call or visit OA Gallery for availability.

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Jennifer "Jen" Evenhus shares her impression of a landscape, still life, or floral using her trademark style “the beauty of imperfection,” revealing the soul of the subject with a unique, bold sense of color and design. 
Jen discovers magic in her subject with simplification, exaggeration and imperfection, revealing happy little accidents that invite the viewer to take a closer look.
Jennifer is a popular national workshop instructor, giving “The Beauty of Imperfection” pastel workshops. She has been published in magazines such as The Pastel Journal, American Artist, Pratique des Arts French Magazine and PSA Pastel-a-gram. Jen’s award-winning work has been included in many National and International Juried Exhibits.
Jen is a Pastel Society of America Master Pastelist, International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle Member, Northwest Pastel Society Distinguished Pastelist, and Pastel Society of the West Coast Signature Member and a member of the American Impressionist Society.
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Some thoughts from Jen::
The most exciting aspect about painting is that you can create something from nothing! Each time I stand before a blank sheet of paper or canvas, I’m astounded by the possibilities. I paint in oils and pastels, but there is nothing quite like painting in soft pastels. The immediacy is thrilling - no color mixing, no drying on the palette; the colors are pure pigment, bold and saturated beyond belief, with new colors being produced each year. With this artistic freedom, shapes and colors surge onto the paper in an endless dance, pure intention pulled along by my muse. I often just hang on for the ride. 

Several years ago I coined the phrase, “The Beauty of Imperfection,” to describe my style and as a title for my pastel workshops. Each workshop also has an underlying theme, like “Less is More” or “Finding Your Voice” or “The Accidental Masterpiece.”  
My style intentionally leaves a bit to the imagination - my work is loose contemporary impressionism leaning toward total abstraction - a quote from Joseph Campbell is perfect: “purposely unfinished [that] leaves a vacuum into which the imagination of the beholder can pour.” I don’t want to tell the whole story. I want the beholder to discover something new each time she or he encounters the painting.