Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Crawley.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My childhood consisted of me always drawing. Even since I was a toddler, instead of coloring in the picture, I would be recreating it. My mum is an artist and would recreate the masters; Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Modigliani, and more. She would create them and put them up all around the house.
She is a gifted artist and decorator.
When I was a teenager, I pursued a career in aesthetics.
At 17, I started my own business and at 19, I was rewarded a young entrepreneur’s loan which enabled me to open an aesthetics salon in Toronto, Beaches.
While running my business, I was inspired to do a painting, and then I started getting commissions from clients.
It was then that I fell in love with painting and decided to change careers.
I met a gallery owner, and he thought it would be smart for me to study art in Cuba.
I did go to Cuba and lived there for 6 months and did study art but through painting and honing in on my own style. My style being figurative landscapes using realistic colour palettes and black and white.
I use oil paint because I think it gives me more flexibility with skin tones and overall textures. My paintings start with the photo shoot. I edit and crop hundreds of photos to come out with a handful I feel inspired to paint.
I think how I have been able to create the work I do today is because, while living in Waterloo ON, I ran a portrait special through a yoga studio.
I ended up painting around 6o plus portraits and really focused on becoming a “Portrait artist”. During this time, I came up with a technique I still use to this day that I have named ” foursies.”
It allows me to re-create images very quickly and accurately. I also practiced in-person sittings and once had 10 people in one day sit for me. (Wiarton, ON)
I eventually moved back to Toronto and created the Toronto Collection.
By this time, I had really sunk into my style of work and kept painting my originals, painting often, having shows, and accepting commissions.
There were quite a few honorable commissions at that time, from meaningful retirement gifts to portraying loved ones who had passed, which brought great emotion from the buyers.
Today, I am living in Victoria, BC, and enjoying the beautiful scenery around me. I look forward to painting many more commissions and originals and feel like my greatest work is yet to come!
“A person should never give up their independence.”
-Jennifer Crawley
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say it has not been a smooth road. Ever since I decided to take art seriously, I have been met with money shortages and poverty issues.
When I first started painting and still had my business working as an aestitician, I had everything I wanted and a very large, beautiful apartment in the beaches Toronto that I took a lot of pride in. I remember reading some Buddhist teachings, and they asked, ” Are you representing yourself by what you have materialistically” and I felt that. I had been living a very materialistic lifestyle and did kind of represent myself by what I ” had”.
So, I decided to give away all of my possessions and move to Cuba to start my new career. I trusted I would be able to buy everything again once the time came.
Well, it was a bit more difficult than I thought. I lost touch with everyone I had gotten to know, and there was no way to make money in Cuba. There was no economy.
So, I had to be very, very careful with the money that I had since there was no way to make more from there.
I did end up selling a few paintings when I returned to Toronto after Cuba and lived on that for a little while.
But still, selling consistently was not easy, and having the money for the rent while I created the art was impossible at that time.
I was lucky to be able to live on my parents’ property in Lions Head, Ontario for a few years and paint a large collection of work and do commissions. But money was scarce. My parents were going through money struggles as well, and both of them have health issues which doesn’t allow them to work. As I was just a new artist, I could not command a very high price and kind of combined the low price with volume to make ends meet. I also looked at it like I would rather sell something for a lower price than nothing at all and I was honing my skills as a portrait artist. The anxiety around money was sometimes so intense I would fall into depressions and regret that maybe I had made the wrong decision to be an artist. But I could not help it. I felt so good when I was painting and bringing people happiness and connection through art that I forged ahead and did not quit.
Today, I still face the same struggles, but I have learned to deal with the anxiety better and always have a full-time job as well as painting. My price has gone up, and I feel more confident asking for larger amounts.
My ideal situation would be to have enough commissions that I could be a full-time art and that is what I am always striving for.
I would love to have gallery representation one day and am working towards creating a collection that I can approach some galleries with.
I have worked with a couple of galleries in the past and feel it was a good experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a painter and a photographer. I specialize in portraits, street scenes, figurative landscapes, urban landscapes, realism, and some abstract.
I am known for portraiture; reproduction of treasured photos old photography, and any kind of art needs the person may have. I am known for family portraits, pet portraits, and one on one portraiture like live sittings.
I am most proud of being nominated for a cultural award in Owen Sound (around 2011) being commissioned for meaningful retirement gifts (Balmy Beach Club, Toronto), and bringing loved ones who have passed back to life through portraiture.
What sets me apart from others is my choice of palette, the black and white oil paint, my dedication to details, and the depth of detail that I attain in each painting. My ability to quickly and accurately reproduce images is what sets me apart from others, and sometimes I can even trick the viewer into thinking my pieces are photographs. (which is my goal).
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a big sports fan and find a lot of relaxation through watching sports. I also love to play poker and think that if I was not a painter, I would have become a professional poker player.
Pricing:
- Every commissioned painting is priced differently. I like to work with the client and find a price that works for both of us.
- My originals will be priced around $2000.00-$5000.00 (for classic sizes up to 30×40)
- I price commissions by the level of complexity in the image and by size.
- I price portraits per head. ex: $1500.00-$2500.00 per head.
- I am happy to work with the customer and offer payment plans.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jc-artwork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jccustomartwork/ and https://www.instagram.com/jennifercrawleyoriginals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jccustompainter
