PORTFOLIO ONE
The art on each pillow is taken from original paintings and drawings by Helen Jennings. The images are chosen intentionally for the passion they bring to a living space, and for the intimate response they evoke. The landscapes, flowers, and animals are moments in time when beauty and peace made the artist pause and really see. They are honest, heartfelt, and shared with sincerity.
22” square
2” mustard yellow coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
During a visit to a dear friend’s studio in upstate NY, I was delighted to see a garden full of delicious vegetables, and a family of sunflowers. It was hard to ignore the sunflower peering over the garden fence at me, so it became my happy, happy subject for a colored pencil drawing.
1059
The Sunflower
22" square
2” burnt orange coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
It’s an absolute treat to walk into a cherry orchard on Flathead Lake, MT and pick a Lambert or Rainier cherry, and eat it right there on the spot. I wanted to portray the lushness of this fruit and its foliage, so I used oil pastels for the original drawing.
1060 Ripe Cherries
22” square
2” apple green coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
Colorado’s La Plata Canyon was an explosion of colorful spring wildflowers. The view took my breath away in sheer awe, and I just had to paint the scene. This is a small portion of a large oil landscape painting.
1061 Colorado Wildflowers
22” square
2” navy coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
Several visits to Lincoln, NE allowed me time to sit quietly in this beautiful public garden. The full original oil painting was of a well-planned out garden scene. I tend to paint more natural settings, however, there is a sense of predictability and comfort that I like when painting organized patterns in flowerbeds.
1062 Lincoln Gardens
22” square
2” teal coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
I was fortunate to witness this roaming display of gorgeousness while in Arizona. Patience allowed me to capture the sunlight illuminating the colors in his full spread of feathers. I wanted to be precise when I was drawing the intricate patterns of color, so the original is done with colored pencils.
1063 Peacock
22” square
2” burnt orange coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
Black and white stripes on zebras make such a bold statement. The interesting thing is, that the longer I study an animal, the more colors I see that others may not. In turn, I did not hesitate to add colors that went beyond a black and white zebra as I drew this colored pencil piece.
1064 Zebra
22” square
2” navy coconut buttons
10/90 duck pillow form
Giraffes are one of my favorite wild animals. They are graceful and gentle, with the sweetest of face. I am also intrigued by their patterns. I especially like working with their palette of color. Layering and blending colored pencil hues is sheer joy for me when drawing this lovely animal.
