What Fire Remains? Painting

The Artist: PD Jensen is a Seattle-born northwest-native teaching artist with a passion for drawing and painting. Drawing, he agrees, is a critical foundation, regardless of medium employed, and classical background teaches best the lessons we must learn to break. Although 7 years with Toastmasters has gained him comfort to speak in public, even have people watch as he paints, he is rather quiet and shy, and finds himself mostly in solitude in front of an easel in his studio or out on his excursions in plein air painting. His unrelenting mantra, as he puts it, "is simplify. Simplify shapes, simplify composition...always more easily said than done." Murals: In 2015 PD was asked to create a series of murals at a new apartment building, Areté, in Kirkland, WA. The success of these led to another large mural at the front of the building that included the painting of an old upright piano to match the design. PD then created a position as resident artist at Areté, and for a period of about six months he created five more murals at Areté and at another property. Mural work was instrumental in the focus on simplifying design. Haiku: It started about May of 2015. Rather than daily journaling, a practice the consistency of which he finds difficult, PD began writing haiku reflecting thoughts and feelings of the day. “I found it to be a creative exercise to use the tight constraints of the form to express myself,” he said. By the end of 2016 he had written over 500 of them, and is working to publish them on the subjects of art, love and life. Current work and interest: Practicing plein air painting, and working on small works with a daily painting approach to improve style, techniques, etc. is PD’s focus at this time, with contemplations on figurative work and bringing more abstract elements into his realism. Piano: A loved pastime is playing classical piano and the inspiration that comes from the musical Masters as well. Bach is always a favorite, but to the preludes, etudes and sonatas of Alexander Scriabin PD has lately been unable to stop listening. Awards: PD was a three-time winner in the American Art Awards for both 2012 and 2013, the two years in which he entered. http://www.americanartawards.com/ PD also created an award, the bronze Faith and Freedom Award, commissioned by the Acton Institute in 2000.