We love to highlight our lovely artists, and today we will be focusing on a long-time member of the Society of Washington Artists: Jeanine Liston. As an active member of the organization for over forty years, Jeanine has held nearly every office in SWA (she humorously notes that Treasurer was her least favorite).
Although she didn’t get serious about art until her thirties, Jeanine Liston champions a vibrant art career rooted in painting. Jeanine has developed her oil, acrylic, drawing, and watercolor skills by taking many local classes. She also has an interest in Asian art, partially inspired by a two-year stay in Taiwan, during which time she took photos that served as a basis for later works.
She developed her art practice alongside being a mother to four children, bookkeeper for all three of her husband’s companies, and occasional cow chaser at her place. Additionally, she has self-published books and belongs to the three local museums.
Many of Jeanine’s works are both vibrant and peaceful scenes in nature. Animals, the outdoors —especially ocean scenes filled with sailboats—and compositions of quaint houses surrounded by foliage make up her diverse portfolio.
Some of her compositions are filled with gestural yet specific shapes, whereas others (especially her watercolor works) have precise outlines, both of which show her unique interpretation of the world around her.
In Winter Walk, a sole figure follows a small animal in the snow by the edge of the woods. It is a serene scene of solitude, and touchingly shows the companionship we can find in animals. On the other hand, Storm is Coming is a sublime painting full of energy; abstract stormy waves blend into an angry sky, and birds are caught in the fray.
Her work gives the viewers the sense that she is a keen observer of nature and wildlife—her translation of water, light, and animals into paint shows a talent for interpreting energy and feeling from daily life. In the words of the artist, “Art is my wonderful lifetime therapy. I love to look at it, think about it, and do it.”
You can view Jeanine’s art and complete artist statement on her SWA Artist Page.