Born Brooklyn, New York, USA
Lives in: Sarasota, Florida, USA
Describe your art in three words: Whimsical. Colorful. Eccentric.
Education: BA, Douglas College
See More Work: www.jillkrasnergallery.com

"The process of making art is my anchor. Creating keeps me grounded in the moment. There is no past in my studio, no future. There is just now — and now is where I belong, where I do my best work. My studio is just minutes from my home. Sunlight streams in through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and bounces off several work tables filled with works in various stages of completion."
What themes does your work involve?
Whimsy is the underlying theme of most of my work. I tend to view the world around me through a lens tinted with humor, which helps me process even the most stressful events. I like to see my viewers smile as they explore the details of my painting. I hope they enjoy the art as much as I enjoyed creating it.Describe your creative process.
I like to work in a series, often working on three, four or five canvases at once. There are many ways to tell a story and I want to try expressing them all. Each painting consists of many layers. Often, the first layer is collage. Then, a layer of paint. Next, sanding, scraping back, adding more paint and collage. Eventually, details start to emerge. Although I usually know what I am planning to paint — a floral, a landscape, a tropical — the details, the composition, the story! — doesn’t reveal itself until later in the process.What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?
Color and texture and the way they interact inspires me. For me, a successful painting combines many different, often conflicting, elements, layer upon layer; revealing when completed, a tale well told.What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?
Good art, in my opinion, engages the viewer completely, allowing them to interpret a narrative uniquely their own.What is the role of the artist today?
I am an artist because that is what I am, what I have always been. Making art is my way of communicating.
This interview was published by Circle Foundation of the Arts. © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist