The Artist..
On any given day you may find me seated at the old walnut table where my imagination comes to life on the paper before me. From here , I gaze out the window at the beautiful, lush and colorful greens of the Tennessee hillside. I watch as Downy woodpeckers chisel their names into the Mulberry tree, bouncing bunnies play leap frog thru the tall grass, and two of my Sanaan goats, Opal and Pearl, butt heads in a funny little rough-neck game.
My imagination is fueled by the natural world around me and a slightly off- center sense of humor. My art is an odd combination of folk painting, illustration and realism. I am inspired by the artwork of many: Charles Wysocki, Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses (my dear America): the wonderful Beatrix Potter and Cecily Mary Barker (for the British in me ) and the marvelous illustrations of Dutch artist Anton Pieck ( for my Dutch ancestors) I have been utilizing the art of scherenschnitte, otherwise known as paper-cutting, for over 25 years as the basis of my artwork. The cutting offers a magnificent depth to a piece of art when combined with the medium of watercolor. My subject matter journeys from Early Americana, to the precision of European Scherenschnitte, to a fanciful world of critters dressed in pantaloons and petticoats.
A nostalgic nature inspires me to recreate what is best about the past and to concentrate on that which is positive and lighthearted. As Charles Wysocki said ,"There are pieces of art that dazzle the eye but leave the heart untouched. I do not even aspire to this form of creation. My paintings are personal statements. There is a simple message in my work and it is love-of country, people and the arts." I second that, and would add "animal people" and nature.
My latest journey is into the world of Children's books. Perusing my cherished collection of antique children's books has, over the years, helped me to develop what I call an Old World illustration style.
For over
300 years my ancestors lived in New England and Upstate New York where I was
born. My father took to heart the famous words, "Go west young man" and
moved his family to Colorado where I was raised since the age of 1. As an adult,
I've lived here and there, but eventually made my
way to beautiful rural northeastern Tennessee. Here on our farm place, and dear old house,
Ochre Moon Manor,
is where the
imagination comes alive. A great love of history, and a special kinship
with animals and nature is reflected in my art. My Dear husband and I share "the
Manor" with 5 senior cats, 2 Great Pyrenees, two darling donkey gals, a flock of sheep a tribe of goats ,
a gaggle of of geese, 4 Peacocks and a bevy of happy little ducks. Oh, and lest I forget,
many chickens dwell here. With Hopalong Hollow out
our back door, life abounds! My animal friends often show up in my paintings and
books because of their unique and delightful personalities.
How dull this world would be without animals! And how much we
would miss without the joy of books and art. A a child I spent countless
hours immersed in the beautiful illustrations in our story books. Never were
crayon box and drawing pad far from my grasp. I remember sculpting little animal
characters from mud dug up in the backyard, inspired by the little woodland
creatures in my picture books. "The Secret Garden", "Wind in the Willows" and a
book which was handed down from my grandmother, to my mother to me,,,,
"The
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" were most
treasured books. My sons were
raised on the stories of Beatrix Potter and I'm sure we could recite many of the
lines in her books to this very day... with voices!( "Timmy Tiptoes, Timmy Tiptoes,,, Oh, where is Timmy Tiptoes!") A lifetime love of children's literature and illustration
has been the inspiration for creating my books.
As you travel through this site, I hope you will share my love of nature and
animals, country-life, history and traditional folk art. So
welcome to the world of my
imagination! Thanks for visiting.
Jeri Landers
Please visit me here in my studio as I work on Book Three in the Hopalong Hollow Series. Just click on Dimity Doormouse below.
