Go behind the scenes of these portraits and see why Jean Pederson has “an undeniable craving.”
BY JEAN PEDERSON
jeanpederson.com
There is a constant tug between the desire to render classically and the desire to communicate expressively.
I need a certain amount of rendering within my practice, but there is an undeniable craving to interpret, in my own voice, what I feel about my subject.
My work has evolved into a hybrid of styles, much like that of modern dance. I still hold the ability to paint a realistic and dramatic portrait in watercolor (like classical ballet). My travels into a variety of expressions (the tap, jazz, hip hop of painting) allow me to pick and choose the dance of my brush.
My question for artists: Do you want to do the same consistent style for the rest of your career (a very solid and accepted path), or do you want to chassé to the left?
I feel gratitude for the choice to move where the music leads me.
Art Video Workshop:
Jean Pederson’s “Mixed Media Portraits: Beyond Realism” 
If your portraits can’t be described as exciting, unique, and authentic, but you would like them to be, this is for you! You’ll no longer be painting exactly what and who you see … you’ll be conveying the inner soul of your subject … who they are outside of just their physicality.
You’ll hear Jean Pederson ask, “How much information do you have to give your audience to communicate the idea of a portrait?” With that question as a foundation, she’ll show you what you need to include and what’s best to leave up to your viewer’s imagination. This concept alone will help you to stop focusing on the tiny details that can be frustrating in portrait painting. You’ll now be enjoying the freedom that comes with creating your own interpretation of the person you’re painting.
