Erin Jenkins: Meander
May 2 - June 4, 2024
Harmony Collective Artist Gallery, Brattleboro VT
Opening Event: Friday, May 3, 5-8 pm during Gallery Walk
Harmony Collective Artist Gallery, Brattleboro VT
Opening Event: Friday, May 3, 5-8 pm during Gallery Walk
The artworks in Meander revolve around ideas of remembering—not of loud blockbuster-events-and-fireworks kinds of moments, but of the quiet, seemingly insignificant moments—that emerge from taking time for a slow aimless wander, looking with patience and curiosity, and capturing the calmness found there.
Most of the prints in this series are based on plein air drawings I created in moments of peace and contentedness. There are boats gently bobbing in the slow rhythmic lull of lapping water, lily pads swaying alongside my passing kayak, an agave soaking up warm sunshine in the dry heat of the day. Seeing these prints (and the drawings that came before them) transports me back to the moment of their creation. I can feel the gentle breeze, hear gulls squawking and leaves rustling overhead, and smell the damp earth after a rainshower. Maybe you can too.
I find myself drawn to nature, especially water—oceans, lakes, ponds—and to the convergence where water and land meet the sky. I find myself drawn to these places often. I’m energized by traveling and seeing unfamiliar landscapes—but also by seeing familiar landscapes with new eyes. Taking time to pause, notice, and create in a place makes me feel like I know it a little bit better, like we’ve shared an intimate moment. By acknowledging and capturing this moment, it becomes significant; becomes a memory.
I hope this idea of exploring without a destination, wandering, noticing—in seeking and finding these tranquil moments—extends beyond this exhibit. The handmade sketchbooks are not meant to be stagnant objects on a shelf admired from afar, but to be used, loved, filled with notes, scribbles, sketches. Let them accompany you as you meander on your own; as you collect your own memories and stories. I like the idea that something I made can be a small part of your journeys, too.
Slow down. Look curiously. Adventure on.
— Erin Jenkins
Most of the prints in this series are based on plein air drawings I created in moments of peace and contentedness. There are boats gently bobbing in the slow rhythmic lull of lapping water, lily pads swaying alongside my passing kayak, an agave soaking up warm sunshine in the dry heat of the day. Seeing these prints (and the drawings that came before them) transports me back to the moment of their creation. I can feel the gentle breeze, hear gulls squawking and leaves rustling overhead, and smell the damp earth after a rainshower. Maybe you can too.
I find myself drawn to nature, especially water—oceans, lakes, ponds—and to the convergence where water and land meet the sky. I find myself drawn to these places often. I’m energized by traveling and seeing unfamiliar landscapes—but also by seeing familiar landscapes with new eyes. Taking time to pause, notice, and create in a place makes me feel like I know it a little bit better, like we’ve shared an intimate moment. By acknowledging and capturing this moment, it becomes significant; becomes a memory.
I hope this idea of exploring without a destination, wandering, noticing—in seeking and finding these tranquil moments—extends beyond this exhibit. The handmade sketchbooks are not meant to be stagnant objects on a shelf admired from afar, but to be used, loved, filled with notes, scribbles, sketches. Let them accompany you as you meander on your own; as you collect your own memories and stories. I like the idea that something I made can be a small part of your journeys, too.
Slow down. Look curiously. Adventure on.
— Erin Jenkins
PRESS
Erin Jenkins is May’s featured artist at Harmony Collective - The Commons (5/1/2024)
Harmony Collective presents linocut prints, handmade sketchbooks by Erin Jenkins - Brattleboro Reformer (4/23/2024)
Harmony Collective presents linocut prints, handmade sketchbooks by Erin Jenkins - Brattleboro Reformer (4/23/2024)
