Smaller unframed paintings are now on my website (free shipping & no sales tax). Purchase 2 for a 10% discount and purchase 3 for a 15% discount!

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Hello everyone,

I continue to work on new pieces whilst we wait for the world to return to normal and for the re-opening of the art show circuit next year.

In the meantime I have received a lot of requests to see what I have available in my collection of smaller, unframed, matted paintings. As these were not previously displayed on my website I have now created 2 new galleries for the 2 sizes which I typically sell at the art shows. Please click on the links below to visit the 2 new galleries:

As I am saving the travel costs of attending the art shows this summer, I am happy to offer free shipping and, if I am shipping outside of the state of Florida, there is no sales tax on purchases! In addition I am offering a 10% discount if you purchase 2 matted unframed paintings and a 15% discount if you purchase 3.

In addition, here are a few more larger pieces which I have been working on over the summer … both mixed media acrylics on canvas and card, and pastels.

Red and Magenta with Gold Leaf 1 (Acrylic)    Skyline 3 (Acrylic)    Horizon Aubergine (Acrylic)    From Brooklyn Bridge 7    Corn and Rolling Hills 2
Click on an image above to open a larger image of the painting

New pieces will be added over time. If something catches your eye in my new collection please email me or call me on (941) 567 9210 for more details.

There are, as always, many more new paintings available in the various galleries:

I am still offering free shipping on these larger pieces and, if I am shipping outside of the state of Florida, there is no sales tax on purchases!

… and don’t forget to check out my new “Wall Space” gallery which shows examples of some of my pieces in their new homes.

Please contact me for further details on anything which catches your eye!

I hope that you are all staying safe, sane and healthy!

Best Regards,

Free shipping and no sales tax: Art in the age of COVID-19!

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Since the world turned upside down in March I haven’t been sitting on my artistic laurels!

I have been in my studio working on various paintings and am continuing to work on new pieces all of the time. As I won’t be able to introduce them to you in quite the normal way over the coming summer months (all of my art shows over summer are now canceled July through September). I thought I would take this opportunity to reach out and introduce you to some of my new pieces in the comfort of your own home ….

I have also incorporated an exciting new “Wall Space” gallery into my website which shows examples of some of my work in various homes; new pieces will be added over time. If something catches your eye in my new collection please contact me for more details.

There are, as always, many more new paintings available in the various galleries – all of which were painted for the now defunct upcoming summer show season:

If you haven’t visited your favorite galleries in a while, please feel free to take a look – you never know if one of my pieces which you haven’t seen before might be exactly what you have been looking for to complete your home! I would also be happy to email higher quality images of any painting in which you are interested.

As I am saving the travel costs of attending the art shows in the Northeast this summer, I am happy to offer free shipping and, if I am shipping outside of the state of Florida, there is no sales tax!

As you will know from visiting me at the art shows, I carry a collection of smaller, matted, unframed pastel and mixed media pieces which I would also be happy to photograph and email to you for you to consider, if you are looking for something specific; these pieces are matted with an external dimension of 18” x 19”.

Please contact me for further details on sizing and pricing or for more information on specific paintings.

I hope that we meet again soon in a more normal world but, in the meantime, I am keeping busy working on new paintings and commission pieces and will send more images in a few weeks so that we can continue to stay in touch over the summer.

I hope that you are all staying safe, sane and healthy!

Best Regards,

What does PSA after an artist’s name mean?

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Cool Blues

Cool Blues

I regularly get asked the question “what does PSA after your name mean?” so thought I’d write a short blog post on this topic.

In order to be able to place the initials “PSA” after your name infers that you have “Signature” status in the Pastel Society of America (PSA).

There are two levels of membership in the PSA, “Associate” and “Signature”. In order to achieve Signature status your work must be juried by the PSA’s Jury of Admissions to determine if you meet the standards of professional excellence required for Signature status. If the Jury of Admissions does not confer Signature status, they may award the artist an Associate membership (this is by no means guaranteed).

Therefore, to achieve Signature status in the PSA and be allowed to place the initials PSA after your name, you do have to achieve a very high standard of professional excellence that is awarded to very few artists.

The PSA Jury of Admissions provides the following information about the jurying process:

  • The jury does not know the name of the applicant nor does the jury consider an applicant’s resume.
  • All works should be of equal consistent outstanding quality and must demonstrate consistency in style, originality of subject matter and interpretation of it.
  • The rendering of subject matter, and elements of composition are important as well as correct perspective.
  • All works must be original art and not copied from professional photographs  (obviously work completed in a class or under a teacher’s supervision in a workshop is ineligible).
  • If all the standards of professional excellence are met, a Signature membership requires a majority vote of the jury.

I feel privileged to be able to be able to place “PSA” after my name….

The “Sold” versus “Private Collection” question…

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Horizon Series 4

Horizon Series 4

Over the past few months several of my clients have asked for prices of works on my website that I have marked as ‘Private Collection’.

It has become obvious to me that many clients are confused by that terminology; which suggests to me that the use of the term, instead of simply saying ‘Sold’, is perhaps jargon more familiar to artists and galleries.

So, in the spirit of responding to client feedback and making my website more client friendly, I am changing all of my paintings marked ‘Private Collection’ on my website to ‘Sold’ to avoid confusion.

Hopefully this should clarify the position for my clients and avoid disappointment when I have to explain that a specific piece has already found a new home!

… just my view and I hope this helps if you are having a similar experience!

Happy New Year!

Best Regards,

Jennifer Gardner, PSA

So, what are pastels anyway?

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Yellow Series 14

Yellow Series 14


I paint with both watercolor and pastel and I get a lot of questions about pastels when I am exhibiting at the outdoor fine art shows in New England and Florida. Many people ask me if they are chalk or crayon, and I’ve even been asked if they are like charcoal; none of these are correct, so I thought I’d start my first blog post with a little bit of history and information about the pastel medium.

Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick. It consists of pure powdered pigment and a binder – generally gum arabic or gum trabacanth. Pastels have no chalk component. The pigments (color) used in pastels are the same as those used to produce oil paints, acrylics and watercolor. However, as this medium has the highest pigment concentration of all painting media they allow for very intense saturated colors.

When properly protected behind glass, pastel is THE most permanent of all media, for it never cracks, darkens or yellows; on the contrary, a pastel painting will maintain its original brilliance and vibrancy.

Pastel is a dry medium and is available in varying degrees of hardness and softness; it is quite distinct from oil pastel, which is an entirely different medium.

I use both soft and hard pastel sticks. Soft pastels have a higher portion of pigment and less binder, resulting in brighter, purer and more vibrant colors. Hard pastels have a higher portion of binder and less pigment, producing a sharp drawing material that is useful for fine details, for drawing outlines and adding accents.

My favorite brands include Sennelier, Schminke, Mount Vision, and Nu-Pastel.

A pastel painting is created by moving the sticks over an abrasive ground, leaving color on the grain of the surface. A pastel support/ground needs to provide a “tooth” (often finely ground pumice or marble dust or vegetable fiber) to which the pastel will adhere, holding the pigment in place.

My preferred abrasive supports/grounds are Sennelier La Carte, which is a high quality, acid-free, heavyweight paper with a surface of slightly abrasive vegetable fiber; and Kitty Wallis paper, which is also a Museum Grade high quality, acid-free, paper using a 100% cotton base with a surface of white aluminum oxide abrasive.

Historically, 19th Century French painter Edgar Degas was a prolific user of pastel. Mary Cassatt first introduced pastel to the USA and became its strongest proponent of her era.

Pastels have undergone resurgence in recent years and are now popular in modern art due to the medium’s broad range of bright colors, durability and versatility.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me or comment on the post!

Regards,

Jennifer Gardner, PSA