Julia Jensen: Scenes Remembered

Robert Henri, an inspired artist and teacher in the early 1900’s believed that art and life were interchangeable. In his book “The Art Spirit”, Henri tells us “There is no art without contemplation”.   The landscapes of Julia Jensen invite us to do just that, stay a while. They are the stuff of dreams, of almost capturing a lost memory of place. There are no hard edges in these paintings. In “Black and White” the cream whites of late snow melt into the sepia tones with such gentleness. It’s like a snippet of scenery passed by while driving, there’s something to be felt here, a reason to linger.

For Jensen, “paintings exist at the meeting ground between the external world and one’s internal, emotional, and spiritual responses to it.” Light plays an important role in many of these works whether in encaustic or oil.   The slice of intense sunlight through the trees on a country road in “Ellen’s Walk” begs for our attention while leading us into the energetic brushstrokes of color on either side.   It’s a celebration of the natural landscape; we don’t have to do anything but appreciate it.