The Gift of Two Wolves

Meet BryonySeries Artist Jennifer Wainwright

A new artist has joined the BryonySeries creative team.

Her name is Jennifer Wainwright, and she is formerly from Southern Illinois.

She is Jasmine's sister, and Jasmine recommended her to us for the creation of our "Welcome to Munsonville" illustration of "Main Street" that greets visitors to the BryonySeries website.

I fell in love with Jennifer's work from the first samples I saw, but I really became impressed when I saw her rendition of Main Street.

So I asked Jennifer to create an illustration for the upcoming BryonySeries novel, Lycanthropic Summer.

Jennifer is available for work (as are all but one of the other BryonySeries artists), in case you need a project done.

Message her at jenniboom94@gmail.com or through me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Here then are ten questions to help you get to know Jennifer and her artistic style.

1) When did you start drawing?

I've always drawn. My mother is pretty talented in anything artsy or musical and she passed that on to me. I even have an old composition book with my scribbles in it that I have gone back and redrawn for fun.

2) Did you ever take lessons or are you self-taught?

Starting out I was self taught but really came into my own in junior high art class when I learned proper shading and my teacher really challenged us to think outside the box.

3)  What are your favorite mediums?

I'm really a jack-of-all-trades when I comes to art dabbling: everything from photography to paints to charcoals to pottery, but if I had to pick a favorite media to work with it would probably be a tie between ink of any kind and pastels followed closely by clay.

4) Why do you like them?

I've always loved the contrast of black and white and the depth you can get with shading (I used to love making optical illusions) and pastels are a fairly new adventure for me that I'm enjoying getting the hang of. 

And as for the clay I LOVE the Greek/Roman statues carved from marble and had always thought to sculpt would be fun. In high school I took a pottery class where my teacher loved my ideas and really supported me trying new things and I've been hooked ever since.

5) What types of subject matter do you like to draw?

I love drawing art that invokes feeling, usually by being creepy or dark in meaning. I like drawing landscapes and animals secondly although water and some fur tends to give me a bit of trouble so it takes me longer to finish.

Editor's note: I have her finished illustration and you would never know fur gives her "a bit of trouble."

6) Is there a technique you’d like to learn that you haven’t tried yet?

I've tried quite the variety of techniques through different school projects or commissions for friends but pointillism is one I've been meaning to get to and I have only barely scratched the surface of different paints and I would very much like to get more into those.

Editor's note: pointillism is a nineteenth century technique where tiny dots of paint are used to form images.

7) Tell us about your favorite piece of artwork that you created.

Sadly I can't really give a straight answer as far as my favorite piece of art because I don't really have just one. In fact I seem to have a favorite piece for every different media I use; from a horse fashioned out of clay that stands on only three feet that won me an award to multiple tattoos I have designed for myself and friends.

8) What artist do you admire?

Just about any of the Renaissance artists I have admired and on occasion tried to draw inspiration from.

9) And why?

They were revered as masters of their crafts and made a living making the art they loved which is hard to do then and now.

10) What’s the most fulfilling part about creating art?

I would say I live to create art for others. I love to turn their vision into a tangible piece. I've always been a people pleaser and in fact I enjoy making art for others so much I often have multiple projects of my own in the works that I drop immediately at the chance to make something for someone else whether it be a drawing, a tattoo design, an embroidered hat, or a crocheted afghan.

Random News From Here and There

How can it be Thursday already?

The work week has been a bit of blur, but I was "fairly" caught up by the end of Monday and kept moving forward.

Speaking of catching up, I've included links to some of the local happenings in The Herald-News readership area over the past couple of weeks.

Jennifer Wainwright, who created the Munsonville Main Street illustration for the landing page of the BryonySeries website (interview with her coming next week on this blog), is also working on an illustration for "Lycanthropic Summer," my werewolf novel I hope to release Oct. 1.

Here are some of her updates she sent me over the last week and a few drafts at the end of this blog when she sent some initial drafts.

However, "no peeks" on the final one until the book is released.

Base colors going on, more and detail to follow

It's all grey tones and, especially once I add the details with the heavy black ink, it will look much darker.

Yup! This is gonna be sweet.

You can't see it now, but I've also got rubber cement down in places under the wash so when it dries and I remove it, it will have stark white contrast highlights as well in the fur and some on the ground.

Shading done, heavy ink for detail and dark going on next. Still looking like you wanted?

I will definitely be able to finish by mid-September, maybe sooner if I manage some more free time this weekend.

I. Cannot. Wait.


Illinois State Museum's Lockport Gallery reopened Aug. 19 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/illinois-state-museums-lockport-gallery-to-reopen-aug-19/adp89gt/


Annual book collection event at Pilcher Park in Joliet cancelled
Sponsors hope to resume event in spring 2021 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/annual-book-collection-event-at-pilcher-park-in-joliet-cancelled/asw9hqo/


Wilmington Fire Protection District opens 2nd station

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/wilmington-fire-protection-district-opens-2nd-station/a609dfv/


Plainfield East High School teachers finish special education training 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/plainfield-east-high-school-teachers-finish-special-education-training/alod3xs/


Bridge photo carries New Lenox man to Forest Preserve photo contest win 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/18/bridge-photo-carries-new-lenox-man-to-forest-preserve-photo-contest-win/andxsq9/


New Lenox Girl Scouts install butterfly way station garden

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/new-lenox-girl-scouts-install-butterfly-way-station-garden/a8yq97r/


Veteran educator at D. 202 in Plainfield earns 2020 Niehus Award

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/18/veteran-educator-at-d-202-in-plainfield-earns-2020-niehus-award/a30rfvd/


Sign up for 'Yoga at the Park' for September in Plainfield 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/17/sign-up-for-yoga-at-the-park-for-september-in-plainfield/ae3lt7q/


Plainfield's library to go fine-free Sept. 1

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/20/plainfields-library-to-go-fine-free-sept-1/an56thh/


Shorewood-Troy Public Library reduces number of people allowed in library
Other mitigations in place at Shorewood library, too

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/31/shorewood-troy-public-library-reduces-number-of-people-allowed-in-library/aqt6qck/

'Napoleon Dynamite' at #Joliet theater rescheduled to 2021

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/31/napoleon-dynamite-at-joliet-theater-rescheduled-to-2021/aywid12/


Joliet-area organizations had curbside, back-to-school event 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/31/joliet-area-organizations-had-curbside-back-to-school-event/ayn5asf/


Despite remote learning, free meals continue
D. 86 in #Joliet offering free grab-and-go meals for its students

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/31/despite-remote-learning-free-meals-continue/ayepilc/


How to choose the best facemask for your child
Edward-Elmhurst Health offers tips to keep kids safe this fall from COVID-19 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/31/how-to-choose-the-best-facemask-for-your-child/a2jn0ww/

Drafts for "Lycanthropic Summer" by Jennifer Wainwright.