An Interview With Kendal Jacques, Featured Local Artist

Vessels by Kendal Jacques 18x24 oil on linen 2020Photo by the artist

In the small town of Madison, Georgia, an hour east of Atlanta, you'll find what Southern Living Magazine has proclaimed to be one of the prettiest towns in the South. Although the town is small, the culture here is anything but. Many artists, authors, and craftspersons call Madison home. The area is also proud to be home to the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, the Steffen-Thomas Museum of Fine Art, the Morgan County African-American Museum, and the Madison Artists Guild and Gallery (MAGallery).

Today's featured local artist is Kendal Jacques. Her work can be found at MAGallery, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to education and encouragement of artistic endeavor in its members and the community through outreach programs, classes and workshops, social gatherings, and support of local artists. Let's see what Kendal had to say about her work:

What is your background?

I am originally from Enigma, Georgia. I grew up on a small family farm and moved to Athens to pursue a degree in painting. In 2017, I graduated from the University of Georgia with a BFA in Painting and certificate in Entrepreneurship. While I was an abstract artist in college, I began to study contemporary realism after graduation. Through a few short years of self-study, I have been able to hone my skill and develop a portfolio of quiet still life paintings that allude to rural history and culture.

Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

Not exactly. I took art lessons from the 4th – 8th grade and I always loved to draw and paint when I was younger, but it wasn’t until high school when I attended the Governor’s Honors Program in the area of visual art that I saw art as something I could pursue full-time. That inspired me to pursue art in college.

What is your favorite artwork you’ve ever created?

I think I’m most proud of my painting “Vessels”. I’m not sure if it’s the most visually captivating work I’ve made, but it was completed during an online course I took last year via Grand Central Atelier in NYC. Attending any class with them (even online) was a dream for me so that painting represents the knowledge I gained over the class.

What time of day do you feel most creative?

Definitely in the morning! I love a good cup of coffee and a playlist in the morning as I walk into my studio. Unfortunately, since I work full-time I don’t often get to paint in the mornings (normally I paint from 7:30 – 10 PM on weeknights). When I do get to paint in the mornings my work is always stronger.

How do you make time for your art, and would you say you have a healthy work/life balance?

I’m not sure I have a healthy work-life balance. Between having a full-time job and trying to paint 12 to 20 hours a week, I find myself being consumed by either my computer or the studio pretty often. I have to be fairly disciplined with my studio time, setting schedules, goals, and deadlines. Otherwise, things tend to fall by the wayside.

One interesting thing I’ve found is that the more I’m in my studio, the easier it is to get in the studio. I fall into the habit of being in there and easily paint away for hours at a time.

From the Old House by Kendal Jacques 30x40 oil on canvas 2019Photo by the artist

Tell us about the space where you create.

My studio is an unfinished basement. It’s much less glamourous than anything I ever imagined about an artist’s space but it does the job. My husband and I are newlyweds and still renting so making a permanent space isn’t really an option right now.

Creating in an “ugly” space was a real challenge for me at first, but I’ve come to understand that the aesthetics of the space are less important than I thought. Most of the time I’m in the studio my eyes are focused on one square inch of a still life or painting at a time, so everything else tends to fade into the background.

What inspires your work?

My work is heavily influenced by the fact that I grew up on a small farm, with parents and grandparents that loved the history of the antique objects around us. I paint entirely from life, studying objects that I’ve collected over time – old tools, kitchen utensils, produce that would have grown on the farm. My still lives often include items associated with domesticity such as tea towels or antique home goods, or elements of architecture including hinges, window frames, and cabinetry. I’m also very inspired by the landscape of the South and often include oil paint and pigments made by hand from clay on found on my family’s farm.

Who are your biggest influences?

I might have too many to list… Cy Twombly, Andrew Wyeth, William Meritt Chase, Henk Helmantel, Dale Zinkowski to name a few. I actually have a spreadsheet of living and contemporary painters that I really like to keep a close eye on. I think I have around 300 on there at the moment.

Tell us a little about your workday as an artist.

Normally, I paint in the evenings and weekends. I start a playlist on Spotify, pour some clean Gambsol, and sit down and look at my still life. Once I’ve spent about 5 minutes with it, I lay out my palette and put out any colors that might have dried up. Then I get to painting! I can easily spend 1-4 hours standing and painting. If it’s a Saturday, I’ll often come up to eat lunch and then return to the studio for another few hours.

As an artist, do you have a favorite tool you use to create?

I’m a huge fan of my brushes. I have a few sets of Rosemary brushes and often use one Princeton Snap per painting (they tend to turn fuzzy quite quickly). That said, I have a special place in my heart for my palette. Outside of the paint I use, it was one of the first large investments I made in my work. It’s made by Turtlewood Palettes and modeled after John Singer Sargent’s palette.

Peaches by Kendal Jacques 8x10 oil on canvas 2020Photo by the artist

How do you share or promote your work?

I share my work via Instagram, my website, and in galleries.

Do you have any routines that help you be more creative?

I don’t have much of an issue deciding what to paint. I feel like most of the time I have way more ideas for paintings than I do time to make paintings, so inspiration is abundant. My issue is more that I find it hard to get back into the studio when I’ve taken time off. A helpful habit is to set myself “work hours” that I know I’ll be in the studio. It helps hold me accountable.

What is your biggest barrier to being an artist or creating art, and how do you address it?

Time. When I made work in college, I don’t think I realized how valuable time was. Now, I guard my time and acknowledge it as a valuable resource. It’s so easy to choose to hang out with friends, or just sit on the couch and watch tv. Those are obviously very important things but as someone who is trying to pursue art, I have to acknowledge how those things might compromise my studio time.

It’s also hard to know when to shift from being an artist on the side to making it a full-time career. Barriers to entry are obviously the lack of consistent income, lack of any benefits like insurance or retirement, lack of paid leave, things like that. As a younger person who wants to have children in the near future, those are valuable things to give up. At this point in my career those things are keeping me from making art my full-time job.

Amber Bottle by Kendal Jacques 8x10 oil on canvas 2020Photo by the artist

How do you determine what you charge for your work?

I have a formula that takes into account the material costs of the painting and an hourly wage I would like to earn for the work. This adjusts based on where the work is being shown or how large a commission might be taken from the work.

What advice would you give to new artists starting out?

Pursue excellence and be intentional. Art can absolutely be about the “warm fuzzy” things like expressing yourself and enjoying the act of making, but I think many young artists use that as an excuse to not be thoughtful, intentional, or hard-working. Art needs to be thoughtful and intelligent. Put in the work. Research artist and find out what you like. Figure out what you don’t like (because that can be just as informative). Learn art history. Spend time in the studio. If you find a type of work you like to make– great – make 100 of them. Do whatever you do to the best of your ability.

And in contrast – Be okay with the fact that not every work is going to be a masterpiece. Try to make intentional improvements every day you go into the studio but understand that you aren’t always going to hit a home run. It’s the daily pursuit of small improvements that matters.

Shopping small and supporting local includes supporting the artists who call our community home. Whether we're looking for a new piece of art or home decor or shopping for a gift, we can browse the Madison Artists Guild and Gallery to support the art community with the purchase of a unique and one-of-a-kind piece made with love by local artists. Follow my work for more features on local artists, and be sure to stop into MAGallery to see the art in person. The gallery is located at 125 W. Jefferson Street in historic downtown, Madison, Georgia.

Madison Artists Guild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to education and encouragement of artistic endeavor in its members and the community through outreach programs, classes and workshops, social gatherings, and support of local artists through MAGallery. For more information or to become a member, visit www.themadisonartistsguild.org/   

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