Artist Statement:   Jennifer J. O’Neill-Pickering   "I have long been drawn to the human face and flowers as my subject matter because I believe them to be the expression of the spirit-the life force that unfolds to the world." This body of work is in the medium of watercolor. Many of the works in this show have never been exhibited and cover a period of over 10 years. The subject matter is primarily that of the flower, the figure, and the human face. These works are intimate portraits, often arising from the imaginative realm of the subconscious rather than the material world. Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums because of its immediacy, fluidity and emotional quality. I credit my grandmother and mother for influencing my interest in painting flowers. Both were avid gardeners and their interest has been a gift to me as well. Princess Judith, flew from my imagination without conscious thought and is a visual interpretation of a character in a novel I’ve been writing for several years about an 9th century French princess. Woman with a Calla Lily and Seated Woman with Camellias combine flowers and the figure in an imaginative background. Sunflower Goddess, a recent work, celebrates summer. I’ve also included works from my Mandala Series that are introspective and insightful delving into the subconscious as their inspiration. Often my work will be accompanied with an interpretive passage or poem. Now, that you know something about my work let me tell you about myself. I studied art at Yuba City High School and later at the University of New York at Buffalo. I received a Bachelor of Arts at California State College at Sacramento in 1985 and a Master of Arts in Studio Art from California State College at Sacramento in 1996. I grew-up in a large extended farming family in Tierra Buena and Yuba City, Ca. I now live with my husband Mike, a teacher and musician, and daughter Mikayla a HS student at West Campus in Sacramento, CA. I have taught Art at Cosumnes River College and am retired from the Legislative Data Center where I wore many hats including that of graphic artist/web designer. My artworks have been awarded the Award of Excellence and Merit at California Works and have been featured in the Crocker Kingsley Exhibit. I received the Increase Robinson Fellowship in 1996 for my artwork and received several commissions for creating community murals in Sacramento and Yuba City in City Parks and Schools. I also have taught art in the Sacramento Unified Schools District through the Artist- in- the- Schools program Grant. I was selected to participate in the Artist Residency Institute sponsored by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and taught at St. John’s Shelter (for women and children). My artwork appeared in the July issue of Poetry Now and selected for the cover art for the 13th Moon, (SUNY Albany) http://www.albany.edu/13thMoon/current_issue.htm. My poem, I Am the Creek is incorporated in the site-specific-sculpture, Open Circle, in Sacramento, Ca. Jennifer J. O’Neill-Pickering Contact the Artist: mailto:jenniferartist@rcip.com http://rcip.com/irisart/ Artwork in the collections of: Senator Deborah Ortiz, Gloria Bert, and Honorable Burnett Miller, Mimi Isenberg... and many others.   Jennifer J. Pickering   Jennifer J. O’Neill-Pickering   Contact the Artist: email: jenniferartist@rcip.com      http://rcip.com/irisart/ Artwork in the collections of: Senator Deborah Ortiz, Gloria Bert, and Honorable Burnett Miller, Mimi Isenberg... and many others.