If you’re a fan of New Zealand art, chances are you’ve already seen Jen Sievers’ abstract landscapes. From Bukit Cinta in Bali to Matauri Bay in Northland, her paintings take you around the globe in pastel hues. She carefully balances nature, abstract and colour throughout her portfolio. It’s no wonder her art is coveted by so many.
Tell us about your creative journey.
I always wanted to be an artist. In my teens, sensible and well-meaning adults convinced me that being an artist wasn’t really a job and that I should head towards graphic design. I always dabbled in creativity outside of work. I was really into film photography and even had a small solo show in Napier. Later, I started a small business refurbishing old wooden furniture with bright colours.
Fast forward a few years, I was a new mum, still working in advertising agencies, and feeling a lack of meaning in my work. My daughter went down for a nap one afternoon and I felt an overwhelming urge to paint. I grabbed a piece of ply from the garage and started painting. After two hours of painting, I realised that this was going to be my new life’s purpose. I could feel it so deeply in my heart that nothing was going to stop me.
For a few years, I worked in my day job four days a week, had a young child, and in the evenings and on weekends I painted non-stop, developing my style. About five years in, I was able to quit my “normal” job and focus on my art full-time.
As acrylic paint is your primary medium, what do you like about using it?
I’m a fast worker and a generally over-excited person. Acrylics are perfect for my temperament because they dry so fast. I work in layers (possibly a habit I picked up from working in design programs), and with acrylics, the layers dry quickly so I can keep moving. I also fell in love with fluid acrylics early on in my art career.
What draws you to capturing nature in your work?
Have you seen our planet? She’s a looker. I can never get over the awe I feel in nature. It’s a subject that stirs so much excitement and emotion in me and I hope to pass that on to people who see my art.
Particularly in your landscapes, you’ve established a really wonderful palette of colour. How did you land on the colours that you use and why?
I’m obsessed with colour. I love playing and experimenting, mixing my own colours and developing palettes while I work. When I started painting my work was a little brighter and more intense, but as I’ve moved forward, I find myself playing with calmer, more serene colours. I love how they make me feel. I spend a lot of time falling in love with and analysing beautiful colour moments – online and in real life. These informed a lot of my experimentation and eventually developed into the colours you see today.
Do you have a particular painting that you would regard as your favourite?
This answer changes regularly, and sometimes, I have a few at once. My current favourite child is On My Way. The original is hanging in my home and I love getting lost in her texture and detail. The palette is my favourite shades of warm, dusty blush.
What does a full day of creating look like to you?
A full day of creating is an absolute treat. They’re quite rare with all the other aspects of running a creative business. When working on a new idea or a series I love to spend an entire day playing with paint.
It would usually start with walking my dogs, a spot of journalling to get into the creative flow, a few moments to find the perfect podcast, and then the paints come out. It often starts quite neatly and ends up with a chaotic mess of paint pots, brushes balancing on every surface of my studio and paint all over my hands and face. I enjoy working on two pieces at once so that I don’t have to stop working when a layer is drying. I’ll take tiny breaks to make some food and eat it while I paint. This usually finishes around 5pm, but it feels like it’s over in minutes.
How do you select the locations you paint? Are they some of your favourite places, or are you drawn to their features?
I’m looking for a certain feeling from a landscape – an intuitive pull towards a place or an image. Compositionally, the features are very important. I need enough detail and scale to create something beautiful. My style depends on having “lumps and bumps” to work with.
What’s on the horizon for you this year?
Creatively I’ve just started exploring a new style of abstract painting that I hope to develop further. I’m launching an exciting new collaboration with a US sleepwear company and I’ve been working on a book with Koa Press that will hopefully come out this year. Other than that, I’m keeping my creative schedule open for whatever magic the universe has in store for me.
How can our readers find your work?
I post regularly on Instagram @jensievers_art. People who sign up to my mailing list always get first dibs on new originals and some amazing special offers.
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