By Gerri Miller
Elmore/Autauga News
PRATTVILLE, AL – Jennifer Levins enjoys looking at God’s creation and then creating her own version of it artistically.
A self-taught artist, Levins has been creating fine art since 2009 in such media as oil, oil pastels, colored pencil, and photography.
On Thursday, Julianne Hansen held an open house at her Fine Arts & Pottery Gallery in downtown Prattville for Levins. Hansen said she holds these events for local artists to help them market their products and to introduce them to the community.
When Levins isn’t painting, she is a pharmacist at Winn-Dixie in Prattville. “I went to school to be a pharmacist because I wanted to be in a field where I could support myself,” she said. She studied at the Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn University because she wanted to learn how medications affect the body.
“I didn’t think I could support myself with an art degree, but now I see that I really could,” she laughed.
She said if she is painting a large painting, it could take her up to three months to finish it. “If I am really in to it, I can sometimes finish a smaller painting in a day,” she said.
Some of the inspirations for her artwork have been the way light sometimes shines on buildings, setting up a still life of flowers, and Southern scenes such as cotton fields, old churches, flowers, trees, animals or barns. Some of her paintings are beautiful scenes of downtown Prattville, Selma, Wetumpka and even New Orleans. She also specializes in pet portraits.
“Historic buildings and rustic barns are frequent subjects for my work as I try and capture the character and stories that these sites hold. In both my paintings and my photography, I try to capture the light in all of its glory in sunrise and sunset as this is an inspiration to me,” she said.
Not only does she paint on canvas, but she also paints ornaments and even tea towels
Although self-taught, Levins continue to experiment with new techniques and learn more as she hones her craft. “I have had the opportunity to attend workshops with other artists, including such notable artist as Perry Austin, Roger Dale Brown, Russell Everett, and Barbara Davis,” she said.
She said it is important for her as an artist to be active in the local art community and she is in the Prattville Art Guild and the Elmore County Art Guild. Her work can be purchased at Julianne Hansen Fine Art & Pottery and Gallery 905 in Selma.
She said she really appreciates all of the support Hansen has given her in her career. “Art can really make you feel like you are by yourself,” Levins said. “It is nice to have support from other artists.”
Levins will show her work at the Candy Cane Market at Camellia Baptist Church December 11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, visit her website at JenniferLevinsFineArt.com or e-mail her at [email protected].
See More Photos Below.
