Ivy Jacobsen

 

Why are you an artist?

 

I have a lot of talented artists in my family so I grew up around it. In 1996 I took my first painting class and knew immediately that it's what I wanted to do. I can't imagine life without painting, it is essential to my wellbeing, and it is who I am. I have veered off into other interests and work but always come back to painting.

 

Could you tell us some more about your paintings?

 

My overall technique is to unabashedly go into a piece with minimal planning. It's through the process that I discover my path. I am very interested in spontaneous lines and rhythmic forms. I am drawn to decorative art. I try to capture the organic, weird, surreal visions that I have of the natural world in my work. I paint with clean lines, love bright colors, and thick shiny surfaces.

 

Do you prefer one medium over another?

 

What medium I use is a big part of my work. These days I use a variety of media in my work. Each piece is a playground in which I can discover a new technique in manipulating the media to do new things. It’s a slow process of applying layer after layer. I use oil, handmade papers, gold leaf, gold dust, nail polish, shellac, cold wax medium, earth pigments, fabric, and sheet music in my work.

 

Could you talk about your latest series of paintings and what you are trying to achieve with them?

 

I am working small scale these days. I work fast but each piece is composed of many layers of papers, oil, glazes, so it is a slow going process. The pieces come out like a little treasures to me.  I am interested in creating a large scale installation of these pieces where the wall is part of the composition. I have several series going now so when I get bored I can just tap into a different mood.

 

What artists have influenced you, and how?

 

These days I am influenced by the mezzotint artist Yozo Hamaguchi. He has simple clean subject matter that floats in a pool of darkness. The dark matter pulls me in and I am wondering what's in the darkness, it's mysterious and open. I really like the work of Andrew Schoultz. I discovered his work by the murals he has done all over San Francisco. I was amazed at his exhibition "Line Scapes", his playful lines, his installations of small paintings, and the subject matter creeping off the canvas onto the wall. I am influenced by Japanese Prints and Asian pattern.

 

What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

 

Looking at good art can really inspire me to paint. Also studying microscopic images of nature, or images of interstellar space, or collapsed stars. I am way into Lotus flowers these days. When I'm in the studio I usually get lost in my joyous process of painting and observation. The thing I struggle with now is not having enough time for my painting!

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

 

I am learning that it's a lot to manage. It helps to be very organized, to document your work well, and to keep open communication with your collectors and those that are interested in your work. It always helps (with any kind of business) to be healthy, be in the present, and keep things simple in life so you don’t get overwhelmed.