The Process
Jennifer Vranes began her career as a portrait painter. In fact, her final BFA Show at Brigham Young University was themed: “Strength of Womanhood,” and consisted of 20 paintings depicting the human figure. Although she felt the human form—especially the face of a person told an interesting story, the method for achieving extreme realism became stifling to her, and she longed for a subject matter that gave allowance for her unique creativity and colorful expression.
Her first landscape painting was a large poppy field packed with vibrant reds
and rich greens. Armed with large paintbrushes, each stroke was a liberation.
She had discovered a subject matter that gave freedom to her bold style and creative
personality—allowing
her to paint with the intense color and exciting texture that she craved. There
was no turning back.
Vranes’ painting process requires lengthy drying time between each layer of paint. For this reason, Vranes paints several pieces at a time—working on each painting bit by bit, over an extended period of time.
With a palette knife loaded with thick paint, she begins by expressively ‘sculpting’ the forms of her subject matter on plain canvas. The foreground is always more textured than the background, making it seem as if the landscape actually recedes in the distance. Trunks of aspen trees, or the petals of poppy flowers actually protrude from the canvas in a dynamic three-dimensional affect. This unique technique, which Vranes named "Textures of Life", creates a very definite tactile quality to her work. Vranes is known for saying that if you want to touch the painting, then it was a success!
After the first stage of the painting dries, Vranes adds another layer. With each new layer, her brushes become smaller—her strokes more precise. Cool shadows and sparkling highlights are added, helping to create depth and dimension. Then, when the painting is finally dry, she covers the entire work in a series of translucent glazes that richen the colors and give the surface a brilliant shine.
While other artists prefer to frame their artwork, Vranes prefers to keep her paintings free of a conventional frame. Rather, she paints the sides of the canvas as an extension of the painting. By keeping it simple, the artwork itself becomes the focal point, and the painting becomes a unique masterpiece that is ready to be hung on any wall and with any style of décor.
