Jennifer Haney

(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Biography

Jennifer Haney is a Canadian Ottawa based visual artist, originally from the Eastern Townships of Quebec. She received degrees from Montreal’s McGill and Concordia Universities followed by a scholarship study program in India. An inveterate traveller, Jennifer has lived, worked and travelled in many countries overseas.  A Fine Arts Diploma graduate from the Ottawa School of Art in 2017, Jennifer has exhibited in Ottawa, Tuscany and Provence and her works can be found in Ottawa.  She studied with Professor Yves Larocque, attending his painting courses and workshops in Ottawa, Tuscany, and Provence, his Art History Tours to Barcelona and New York, and credits his guidance for advancing her current art practice.

Statement (Always exploring)

Intrigued by the flow of non-representational art, I continue to explore the challenging genre of contemporary abstract. Using a combination of brush, palette knife, and other tools to make my gestural strokes with vibrant acrylic colours, I create movement, rhythm, shapes, and forms.

I work intuitively, allowing the art to happen, passionately applying the paint, letting go with the freedom to express, savouring the surprise of what appears. It is the unpredictability that excites as unrecognizable images begin to emerge, dictating what is to happen next.  Perhaps this is what draws me to abstract, the uncertainty of where the rivers of paint will lead, with no idea of the final destination.

Due to downsizing, I can no longer work with large canvases. Although initially reluctant to try, I am now experimenting with the digital programs of Procreate. Surprisingly, I discovered an exciting and creative tool that allows me to experiment with a variety of designs and colours on my iPad before applying paint to canvas. I look forward to seeing how this will impact my future practice.

My current series includes bursts of colour exploding around a circle.  Long interested in this geometric shape, I am now exploring the use of this ancient symbol in my work. The circle is a sacred symbol of unity, infinity, and perfection found in many of the world’s religions and philosophies. And the circle, as it has no beginning or end, can be seen to symbolize the life cycle of birth, life, death, and for some individuals, rebirth.

I am now in my eighties, and live in the now of present moment but do reflect on the past with memories of my life experiences — my stories — and as I move further into my waning years, the concept of this circle of life becomes more significant…