About Us

Education:
BFA in Painting and Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth
University in Richmond VA 1992

Shows:
VCU Senior Class Showing-Anderson Gallery (Richmond
VA) 1992
Woman’s Caucus of Art (Richmond VA) 1992
100 x 100 at New Visions Gallery at TULA (Atlanta GA) 1993,
1994
200 x 200 at New Visions Gallery at TULA (Atlanta GA) 1995
Bella Museo (Atlanta GA) two times Summer and Fall in
1993
Self-done show at a gallery in TULA (Atlanta GA) 1994
YWCA “Home is Where the Heart Is” charity auction
(Marietta GA) 1994
Pin Point Photo Show at TULA (Atlanta GA) 1995
Café Tu Tu Tango painted for food program and they hung
the work after you did it. (Atlanta GA) 1993
March 2007-Blue Frog Gallery-Under the Tuscan Glaze-
Marietta GA
August 2007-DeFoor Centre-display of collection in cafe
and bar-Atlanta
November 2007-DeFoor Centr-Off The Wall: 100 x 100-
Atlanta GA
Dimensions Gallery-Savannah GA-various works
Auction Fundraiser-Framed beach sign photo--St. Mary's
Home-Savannah GA
Elliot Street Pub-Castleberry Art Walk-Atlanta GA-April 2008

I have been creating art whether it's paintings, prints,
photographs, drawings since I was really young. I can
remember making my own greeting cards when I was at
least 5. I always thought I could make a better card than the
ones in the stores. I would use anything that made a mark
on paper, crayons, markers, watercolors, pencil or pen.
Printing became a passion from positive-negative photo
prints in high school to stone lithography in college.
But painting has always been there for me, using the
canvas as a giving and forgiving surface.

I have painted still lifes and landscapes for a long time, I
think I like to challenge myself, to get the glass clear and
reflective or the water chops along the banks of a river or a
canal. But always allowing flaws, for I am not a
perfectionist by any means. I like the fact that I might have
overlapped my brush marks with my palette knife stroke or
some how my paints creates texture.

I think my use of color and ability of good composition are
my best skills. I have always known where to “put things”
and how the colors can be or should be or maybe need to
be.

Unfortunately I went through an artist block for about six
years I am not too sure where it came from or why it
happened. But my approach to painting has changed. I have
noticed that instead of having a stopping point I always try
to expand my work and see how far I can go. I am not be
afraid to make a huge mistake, knowing I can go back and
re paint it. But I found other ways to create during that time,
more on the arts and crafts side so perhaps working in a
smaller or a less forgiving medium it gave me the ease to
go back to a large canvas and splash on the paint!

I studied at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond,
VA graduating in 1992 with a BFA in Painting and
Printmaking. I have been in several shows over the years in
Richmond and Atlanta, GA where I reside. I have been a
published writer, a poet, a photographer and now I have
picked up jewelry making.

I hope that some of my pieces intrigue you!

Thanks

Jill D. Kettles