Jen Mann, My Deer, oil on canvas, 2009

Hi Jen, First of all, where do you live / work?

I live and work at home in Mississauga just outside of Toronto. My studio space is basically just the spare room in my parents house where I still live. I’ve converted it into a great studio space, with great storage and I try to keep it as clean as possible. I find the cleaner your space, the easier it is to work.

Can you tell us a little about your studio space/techniques/what gets you in the mood to create work/a little about your process/ times you like to work/etc?

I like using my surroundings as inspiration as well as art magazines, books etc. We live on an acre of land that backs onto a marsh reservation where deer, fox, and other animals live and sometimes wander into our back yard. I think for this reason I have always been inspired by nature, and the positive influence it has had on my life. I think getting in the mood for art making I need to have a triangle of conditions: Positive attitude, Clean Environment, and a lot of time to think before I start.

How is the art scene in Mississauga/Toronto? Is it very active? Does the artistic community in your city help you create work?

The art scene in Toronto is pretty strong. Toronto is like the New York of Canada. I don’t know what more to say. Mississauga is just a burb. There is not exactly a scene. There are lots of artists I love and who inspire me, most of them are a little bit further or at the same point in their career as I am. I love to browse through galleries, websites, art magazines, and find inspiration from other artists and learn from them. I think your peers are your best asset in the art world.

Jen Mann, Fox, oil on canvas, 2009

Where did you attend college and how did it effect your creative process?

I went to OCAD (it used to stand for Ontario College of art and Design but since it recently became a university about 5-6 years ago I think it goes by OCAD University) where I majored in Printmaking. I really learned a lot about process, and layers doing printmaking. Right now I cant even think about making prints, and I’m really glad that I’m not. I started making paintings as an escape from the rigidity of printmaking as soon as i finished school and I found this freedom and immediacy. I love being in control of my process and my image entirely.

Describe what you’d like your work to do- any ideas in particular you are looking to get across?

I would like for people to get a sense of freedom from the work that I am making. because it really is a liberation: from the body, from the structured guidelines of society, art, and the escape into this wilder, less tamed canvas, this animal self.

Is there a particular reason you work in your chosen medium? Have you experimented with other techniques/mediums or is this what you’ve always felt comfortable with? Do you see yourself crossing over into other formats?

I had never worked with oil paint, but I knew that in printmaking oil just looks so much richer, and its more forgiving so I decided to try some paintings out when I finished school and I just fell in love with it. I played around with mediums creating washy layers and different techniques. I love the jewel-like quality of oil paint and the flexibility it has.

What is a typical creative day like for you?

My typical day includes sleeping, sitting around thinking, and I dabble at writing a novel that I’ve been working on that I doubt I’ll ever finish. Often though if I’m feeling creative but not in a painting mood I’ll write something and eventually it will spawn on a full fledged paint spree. I love to write poetry and often my poetry is what eventually inspires most of my paintings.