I seem to be having writer’s block, not because I can’t think of what to write, it’s the fact that it is just too much interesting about this charming lady. As Hemmingway says, ‘’Write one good sentence, the rest will follow.’’ Well, I wrote one good sentence yesterday, and its song has nudged me to finish the article.

I meet Jean rice for the first time at One Water Place twelve floors up with magnificent views east over the American flag painted to cover the top of Legendary Marine buildings. In the early morning, the sunrise brings a wake-up call with the Mid-Bay Bridge and Choctawhatchee Bay views to the north. Her crystal-clear eyes tell me a lot about her exciting life. I’m grateful for her willingness to share her amazing stories with us. The light blue of her eyes captivates me as I see her light up when she starts sharing with me her career as a painter. Jean tells me, ‘’I grew up in the Mississippi Delta. One of the best lessons my parents taught me was that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Another piece of advice that I have carried with me throughout my life was to ‘play through the pain.’’’

Jean’s genuine interest in painting began when she was 70 years old. She told me that she had first started with ceramics then decided to venture away from that as it became more of a hassle for her to handle. She still had a strong passion for painting, so she started working on canvas by putting her incredible creative skills to the test. Jean said, “This endeavor became good therapy for me; I very much enjoy working with bright colors on canvas.’’ The techniques that she uses and the color schemes in her paintings truly bring such enjoyment to the eye.

Alongside her military husband of 57 years, Jean soon becomes a world traveler as they were determined to live life to the fullest. It was a blessing we shared to travel to many different places that ultimately influenced my art. When speaking with Jean, she says that she hasn’t been able to center in on only one thing; “I jump all over the map.”  Jean states, ‘’Many paintings come from the photos that I have taken over the years as I have traveled globally. I have painted scenes from veiled faces to Mediterranean villages, the flower market in Italy, an interesting arch in Africa, a cypress bayou, even an old red abandoned barn in Mississippi. One of my first attempts was my father-in-law fishing, and then I moved on from there to even one of Jack, my cat friend.’’

Jean’s work focuses on impressionism with layers upon layers of colorful acrylic paints that immediately draw you into the painting’s central body. As I walk into the breakfast room, I stopped in my tracks to admire this exciting impressionistic lion’s head with the fantastically detailed strokes of his majestic mane done in a myriad of colors. I can almost feel the winds of the Serengeti blowing across his face.  I could hear the lion roar his approval of my admiration!

‘’One of the first paintings was of my father-in-law. I painted him diligently fishing in his rain suit, showing not a care to the inclement weather. I’m a self-taught artist, and I find my inspiration often comes from observations and past experiences. One of the more simplistic paintings I have done is entitled jujube tree. This painting comes from my imagination. Though this painting is of a single tree, I blended many layers of paint to create the final effect.”  History has said that the “Crown of Thorns” came from this tree.

‘’Currently, I am working on a grouping of sailboats floating on a reflective water scene. One Water Place is having a resident art show open to anyone that lives in OWP. The paintings are to be on a 36’’x36’’ canvas. Many artists have already signed up to show their work.’’ Jean is somewhat hesitant to show me her work as the canvas is only about halfway complete. I see a post-it note Jean has written to herself that the painting needs to have more depth. The water will reflect the boats, and the bright yellow sail will flow across the water with strokes of cadmium yellow using deep light yellow hues of color. The sky holds billowing clouds filled with titanium white that seems to foretell a perfect day for sailing. Her painting will be ready for the showing in a few weeks from my visit. One of her closing quotes was, ‘’One of the most difficult things to do is to know when to stop on a painting.” I will hope to get a photo of the completed painting.