The Thresher Painting

Jennifer Hankin Buerkle was born and raised in central New Jersey, graduating from Somerville High School in 1968, and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Delaware in 1972. She taught high school art at her alma mater under the supervision of her long-time mentor, Stewart Schenck, for four years. In 1978, she and her family (husband, son and daughter) moved to Tallahassee, FL. In Tallahassee she continued a very satisfying career in art education, retiring in 2014. Her retirement has gifted her with the time and means to paint and create extensively, a lifelong dream so often put aside by the demands of her career teaching children the joys of creation. Now it is her turn! She currently is working mostly digitally (Procreate/IPad Pro) and in oils or acrylics. Her paintings tend to be realistic and/or impressionistic, but every once in a while she throws caution to the winds, walks on the wild side and creates something more expressionistic. She enjoys putting a bit of incongruity into work now and then. A fascination with human faces, particularly in groups, also much of her work. Much of her references come from old family photos and home movies. She has been called (but is not entirely certain what it means) a folk impressionist. One of her go-to critique guys mentioned that the people in her work look rather "whimsically apprehensive." She appreciates that, as it is a not-unfamiliar state of mind. But for a 21st century art teacher who used digital technology daily and effectively, the final product is just never final! She began photographing her work for online sites and it was not long, nor a huge jump, before she began manipulating, elaborating and enhancing her own work digitally. She also enjoys starting off with a blank screen and going from there. Jennifer thanks you for taking the time to learn a bit about her, and hopes you enjoy her offerings on this site.