A Swallow’s Dance

Born in Los Angeles, Jeannine Emmett began her love affair with painting at a very early age. Her father, John Reinwald – an architect and talented artist, recognized an artistic aptitude in his daughter and fostered it by providing enrichment activities both at home and outside and did so until his death in 1989. She went on to study fine art and architecture at Santa Monica College with aspirations to become a Landscape Architect.

Subsequently, she took numerous art courses at Otis College of Art and Design.  In 2011 Jeannine decided to take a break from her landscape design career in order to bring some needed balance. In need of a creative outlet during this “break”, she decided to pick up her brushes again. Little did she know that she’d find her bliss.

With the support and encouragement from family, friends, and that knowing that Divine guidance is present in this, she decided to pursue her passion for painting as a full time career. Now as an emerging artist in Los Angeles, Jeannine is becoming more widely known for her unique voice and contemporary take on traditional landscape and figurative painting. Her technique is a process of action and reaction, resulting in many layers of paint and achieving an overall sense of color harmony. She is a consummate colorist, mixing many of her paints directly on the canvas.

Jeannine’s big sky landscapes evoke calm, contemplation, and a sense of awe at the wonder of nature’s inherent contrasts.

Jeannine’s work hangs in private collections across the United States,  Mexico, UK and Dubai.

Q & A Interview

AFA: What made you want to experiment with your new swirl style?

JE: “I was merely playing around with my kids and their friends on an art project, and after having so much fun with them, I decided to play around with the technique myself. I was immediately addicted. I love the unpredictability and surreal results. It is kind of like this medium makes you have to surrender to it, dance with it while allowing it to lead the dance. Every painting is a dance I think. The movement you see in the art is a manifestation of that.”

AFA: What are the last 3 charges on your credit card?

JE: “Okay, chicken and guinea pig food, wood polyurethane from home depot (refinishing an old farmhouse table I found at a garage sale), and dinner out with a friend visiting from Seattle.”

AFA: Our clients have always loved your big sky pieces! What inspired you to paint big and sometimes stormy skies?

JE: “I think I crave it. Living in Los Angeles does not exactly give you that experience of a sudden, rolling thunderstorm creeping in on the horizon. I find that kind of weather exhilarating and refreshing. I also love big skies and just observing the way the color, light and cloud formations are continually changing. There’s nothing like it. I could honestly spend hours and hours just staring at the sky when visiting areas with more exciting weather than L.A.”

AFA: What’s the best part about coming from a family of artists?

JE: “Well, I love that we all get each other in that way. We are all different, but the creativity gene runs deep.”

AFA: You are at a dinner party with famous guests (alive or deceased)…who are you sitting next to? 

JE: “Jesus, or Yeshuah Hamashiach, the name he was known by during his lifetime. I would, of course, address him by that during dinner conversation and whoa, what a discussion we would have.”

AFA: Which artist do you think you’ve been most inspired to be like?

JE: “That is hard because there are so many, but my mind immediately thinks of Douglas Frier. He is not very prolific, but his work is impressive to me.”

AFA: What is your favorite accomplishment?

JE: “I homeschool my kids three days a week, so knowing I have taught them something new, and seeing that little light go on in their eyes is pretty much it for me. Moreover, if I get a painting done, that is considered a significant accomplishment in my book.”

AFA: What is one thing you cannot live without?

JE: “My Bible. It is like my navigation system for everyday life. I am hopelessly lost without it.”

AFA: What was the subject matter and style of the very first painting you sold?

JE: “It was an abstract landscape painted from an aerial perspective.”

AFA: What is on your bucket list?

JE: “Well, I am hoping to fulfill one this summer. I am planning on traveling down to Costa Rica with my husband. I have always wanted to go there and hang out with monkeys and sloths. I found a place down there where they bounce around on your patio hammock. However, that may get old if you are trying to relax and read a book or take a nap.”