With her Hope Trees exhibition upcoming at Geo Gallery in Glendale, Jen Snoeyink has a fresh forum for her wide-ranging, spiritually kind, and vividly lovely artwork, which she refers to as an “emotional response to social and environmental issues, from the devastation of wildfires to the joy of chickens.”
While her work is often oriented to nature, this accomplished, multi-medium artist says she choses her color, texture and material based on the message she wants to impart, always “with the intention of lifting viewers’ spirits and raising awareness.”
Her current work and upcoming exhibition builds on her past work. “How could it not?” she asks. “I have repeatedly been fascinated with texture, color, environment and nature. My previous work as a scenic artist, faux-finish artist, and mural painter have honed my painting skills. The subject of my artwork has stayed within themes relating to nature and emotional responses.”
Moving from her previous residence in New York to Los Angeles has affected her work, Snoeyink notes. “Most of the content is about living in California. My latest work in particular focuses on wildfires and using recycled mediums to further environmental awareness.”
The inspiration for her involvement with the community, her commitment to informing and to creating art related to climate change starts with the fact that “I am a child of the 70s. ‘Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute,’ ‘Smokey the Bear,’ and the energy crisis started my awareness of the environment, and the effects of the human population.” She asserts that she grew up with the strong believe that “We have a responsibility as citizens and stewards of this earth to do what we can to respect and preserve it. Back in the 70s there was a drive to reduce pollution, and look what we were able to do,” she enthuses. “Smog emissions were reduced, as well as pollution and other taxing environmental issues. This came from a community that cared and demanded change. We are in a similar situation now with climate change, and there are things that we as individual citizens can do about it.” She adds “And I as an artist feel a responsibility to use art as a tool to help bring community together.”
According to Snoeyink, she works in as many diverse mediums as she does because she simply loves diversity. Whetehr fire art, assemblage or painting and drawing, certain elements carry through each of the mediums she employs. “Using different mediums is like using different tools. Sometimes I prefer fiber, and other times paint or drawing. When I studied set design, one of the things I learned was that material helps create the intended environment around the story that you tell,” she says. “Wall treatments and decor do the same in homes as do materials in art. I am fortunate in that I have the choice of mediums with which I enjoy working, depending on the message I want to convey. ”
The artist explains her use of materials, and why different techniques work to create different meanings within her work. “For me, the materials are generally used like this: drawing is for emotive line, paint provides textural brushstrokes, glazes and color, fibers – tactile texture, and land art – when something just can’t fit on a wall and environment is key.” In addition “I use assemblage when I want to create a feeling or looking at something as an outsider. The elements carried through? Texture and color, and the need to communicate through the medium of the artwork.”
Snoeyink has worked on a variety of public projects. “The Hope Trees projects have been the most meaningful to me, both the wildfire inspired Land Art and the positivity and hope for Burbank schools at the start of the school year. ”
She says her that her vibrant and beautiful Hope Trees are an outgrowth of the current socio-political climate. “I have been drawn to fiber arts in tumultuous times in my life. After 9/11, I found great comfort in relearning how to knit. The process of the repetition, the texture of the yarn, and the creation of something new was mindfully comforting.” Snoeyink conceptualized the Hope Trees project after the LaTuna fire ravaged the hillside near her home.
“It was an awesomely frightening experience that was magnified by the resulting blackened landscape. I yearned for some form of life, some color and some love to adorn the charred hillside. The hill that had been such a bounty of life had appeared to be devastated.” And so the idea of the Hope Trees evolved for the artist. “I started wrapping branches with colorful yarn and scraps of fabric. Not only was the process itself very mindful, but so was the intention of selecting the fibers, wrapping and gifting it to the branch as a wish to the landscape, and to those affected by the fire and the burn locations.”
The trees came into action when the Woolsey Fire hit the next year.
“I wrapped a few more branches, and brought these makeshift trees to the burned locations. Nature photographer Kerry Perkins assisted me with the project by expertly documenting the resulting Land Art. We have also done temporary installations at the Saddle Ridge and Getty burn areas, and Burbank schools for the first day of school.” She sites the meainging and purpose of the work as “Hope even in devastation, especially when community comes together. Nature is unbounded.”
The lovely chickens and roosters that take up a portion of Snoeyink’s painterly work are strikingly cool images. She makes these birds graceful and even refined, capturing how alive and sweet they are. But why chickens as opposed to any other winged creature?
“A few years ago my daughter came home from school with a freshly hatched little chick which she treasured and cared for as attentively as if it were a puppy. At the time I didn’t think much of chickens, but I eventually started to think about them differently. The chick would coo with affection, and my daughter had made a new ‘friend.’ We eventually got a few more chickens, and over the last few years we have learned how fun, quirky, and filled with personality they are.”
While her portraits of friendly fowl reflect their individuality and joyful spirit, each of her varied works reflect that sense of life, its sanctity, love – and hope.
Feel this encompassing warmth amid the branches of Snoeyink’s Hope Trees.
Geo Gallery is located at 1545 Victory Blvd. in Glendale, and runs Dec. 14 through January 2nd. The exhibition should make a “hopeful” start to the holiday season and New Year.
- Genie Davis; photos provided by the artist