Me & My Art Monday: Jennifer Wilkinson Rynbrandt

By November 10, 2014 Me & My Art

This week’s featured artist:  Jennifer Wilkinson Rynbrandt, member since 2012:

Jennifer Wilkinson RynbrandtME:  I am originally a native of the Washington, D.C. area suburbs, and I now live with my husband and four children in Hampstead, MD.  As a Gerontologist for seven years, I was a Director of Care Management for two geriatric care management firms. I also provided consulting services for eldercare providers, and I offered continuing education and speaking engagements for estate planners and insurance providers, nurses, social workers and administrators in the eldercare field, and the MS Society.  While working in healthcare, my art was a form of self therapy. Creating new, permanent things was a way of consoling myself when an elderly friend or client passed away. After losing a very dear young friend, I took a sabbatical from eldercare consulting, and re-evaluated how I wanted to spend the hours that I’d devote to work.  I decided to pursue art as a vocation, rather than return to healthcare.

Jennifer Wilkinson Rynbrandt, Oystermen, Big Boys in Rubber Pants

Oystermen: Big Boys in Rubber Pants

MY ART:  I have painted in my free time since 1999, and now work exclusively as an artist and author. I illustrated the cover of my first novel, Little Red Rider, which was released under my pen name, Audie Cockings, in June 2014. That cover was the most fun project to date! I work primarily in acrylics these days but also enjoy fiber, oils, acrylics, and watercolor. My newer work includes liberal use of ink. At the MFA Fall show, a guest asked me if there was a technical term for my “scribbles’ – that is, the movement created in haphazard outlining of my subjects. I replied, “No, I call them scribbles too!”. I suppose those signature scribbles could be construed as visual decibels…The louder the music in my studio, the more scribbles on the painting.  Visit my website: jennifer-rynbrandt.squarespace.com

MFA & ME:  MFA has been nothing less than a Godsend. I’d been a gallery-represented artist in Ohio for five years.  Discovering MFA after seeing an open call for artists, it has been pivotal in helping me find a new audience in the Maryland art scene, offering innumerable opportunities to submit work for shows in Annapolis and elsewhere. MFA works tirelessly to create new opportunities for living artist members. Meeting new artist friends and sharing time and ideas with them has just been an unexpected bonus.

 

Spread the word about…YOU:   Every week, we feature an MFA member for “Me & My Art Monday.” If you would like to be featured, please submit a photo and three paragraphs: one each about YOU, YOUR ART, and MFA & YOU totaling approximately 350 words, to meandmyart@mdfedart.org.

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