In Memoriam

We are sad to announce the passing of our wife and mother, Dorothy Jenson. She died peacefully in her home on Sunday, August 21, 2016 at the age of 61 due to advanced stage cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of bile duct and liver cancer.

Dorothy touched many lives through her work as an artist, through her lifetime of service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all those who knew her as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, neighbor and friend.

A memorial service honoring Dorothy's life will be held on Tuesday, August 23, at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint meeting house located at 14340 Donovan Road, Oregon City, Oregon 97045.

Dorothy loved flowers and the outdoors, which will be celebrated at the memorial. Donations of live plants for a memorial garden can be delivered at the service or sent to 37213 NE Vernon Rd, Washougal, WA 98671. In lieu of sending plants, Dorothy would ask that you paint a picture, take a walk with a loved one, or read a book to a child in her memory.

We appreciate and welcome the sharing of memories and photos on this memorial account for Dorothy.

With gratitude for her life and legacy,

The Ken Jenson Family

Zinnia's Last Stand

Autumn is upon us, but I have a stand of zinnias that aren't quite finished. They won't be around long with the damp, cool weather of our Pacific Northwest fall season, so I took a few reference shots and created this fanciful version of the scene before me.

Zinnia's Last Stand, ©Dorothy Jenson 2015

 6x6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

Path to the Dock

Our family reunion was spent in northern Wisconsin this summer. For our large family we rented a large home on lake front property. It used to be a YMCA camp! The back yard sloped sharply down to the edge of the lake, but there was a nice stone pathway to follow to reach a wonderful dock for swimming. We had such a good time there! Ready to go for a swim? This way to the dock...

Path to the Dock, © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6" acrylic on wrapped canvas

Days End

Life has been full recently, with little time to paint. I was able to spend a little over two weeks in Wisconsin helping care for my daughter's family and their 4th born child! There's nothing quite like holding a newborn. Back at home there's always one thing or another keeping me from painting. Today I got back to the studio and painted a fun interpretation of a recent sunset viewed from my back porch. I love our new home in the country!

Days End © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6" acrylic on wrapped canvas

Bus Stop Moms

It's been a long time since I participated in one of the Daily Paintworks challenges, but today was the day! The theme is "Back to School" and I found a photo reference from the Paint my Photo website that excited me and I could hardly wait to get started. This piece ended up being much more tedious to paint, but still, the process was enjoyable and time flew by as I worked. The finished painting turned out just the way I imagined it, which is saying something. Lots of times my paintings go in surprising directions, but this one became just what I wanted it to be. I love the clothing and postures of these "bus stop moms" and the colorful bus and construction signs behind them. I love how the trees turned out and I love the rim of bright light that shines through the painting.

Bus Stop Moms, 6x6 inch acrylic on canvas

Smoky Sunset

We've had some terrible wildfires here in the state of Washington this summer. Lives lost, homes lost, and lots of smoke throughout the state. Just terrible. Some of our sunsets during that period were also blazing with a bright red sun amid the hazy, smoky landscape. Standing on my back porch I can watch the sun go down over a large meadow and forest lands beyond. Today's painting is my colorful interpretation of one of those sunsets.

 

Smoky Sunset, 6 x 6 inch acrylic on canvas

West Coast Fog

About a year ago I was walking the beach in Neskowin, Oregon, and snapped a quick photo of the rising fog. Lots of things about the photo appealed to me, so when Daily Paintworks issued a challenge last week to paint fog, I knew it was time to give this one a try. I love the layers on the distant hills and the figures along the shoreline. Almost like being there again.

West Coast Fog, 6 x 6 inch acrylic on canvas

Daisies on the Hill

This summer as we settled into our new home in the country I couldn't have been more delighted when I discovered that the fields around our landscape were covered with wild daisies for a couple months! You may see daisies pop up in my paintings more often, I think. :)

Daisies on the Hill

6 x 6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas, varnished

Morning Run

I am not a runner, but I do like walking. One morning I was enjoying the dike road trail that parallels the Columbia River in Washington and got a quick reference photo of one of the local runners who like to use this trail. That reference photo became today's small painting.

 

Morning Run, 6 x 6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

Water Lilly Morning

Has it been forever since I painted? Almost!! It has been a crazy summer with moving, family, travel, and finally organizing my new studio, and it is now time to paint again. Hooray!

Water Lilly Morning, 6x6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

Moving!

Art supplies in boxes...oh, no! It's true, we are moving to Washington state as soon as our house sells. I will be taking a hiatus from art until we get settled and my new studio is ready. Hopefully it won't take too long! I've decided to pack my supplies now so that I won't get distracted when I really should be organizing, packing and cleaning. Sigh.

 

Moving Boxes © Dorothy Jenson Art 2015

tape on cardboard boxes, sizes vary   :)

Barn Owl Swoop

The DPW challenge this week is to paint a bird in flight. I chose an image by the UK photographer, Villager Jim, who has given me permission to use his photos for small paintings. What I loved about this image was the bright lights around the feather tips. Here he comes!

Barn Owl Swoop © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6 inch acrylic on canvas

Mountain Dreams

I'm back to my Van Gogh starry night games again! Today my swirly, glowing stars are over South Sister, a mountain in central Oregon. I LOVE the yellow and orange in the sky, as well as the bright moonlight on the face of the mountain. Looking at this painting I almost get a little shiver. Doesn't it look like a cold night to you?

 

Mountain Dreams © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

Treetop Melody

​It's full on spring over here in the northwest where I live, with daffodils blooming along with the pink blossoming trees. These are the tall maples behind my house, and even though the rest of my neighborhood may look spring-like, these trees won't leaf out until almost May. I absolutely love watching the sky show through the leafless trees. Every day it is different. Here's one straight out of my imagination, but it probably did look almost like this one time!

 

Treetop Melody © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

Spring Party

While I realize that it is so very cold in the eastern part of the US, we here in the Northwest are experiencing an early spring. It's the "pink" season here already, where the redbud trees and other pink blossoming trees that I don't know the names of are making my hometown look as though it is decorated with pink cotton candy trees. It is gorgeous! The child's song, "Popcorn Popping" comes to mind, as well as party confetti. I went with the party theme and painted four 6x6 inch panels with one lovely, somewhat abstract pink blossoming tree. I can't think of anything else to call it except "Spring Party". Here's a photo of the four panels together. I'll be selling them as singles for $40 each, or the whole set of four for $120.  Happy Springtime!

Spring Party, © Dorothy Jenson 2015

acrylic on four 6x6 inch wood panels

Meadow Dreams

Well, who knows what is going to happen when I sit down in my studio? I'm not always sure I do. Today I was thinking about abstract...just designing with color to see what comes up. Part way through I realized it was a meadow-like abstract. Since I love meadows, it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Then it became almost fantasy, or dream like. With lots and lots of color. I like color, too, so there you go. I wonder who else likes meadows and color?

Meadow Dreams © Dorothy Jenson 2015

acrylic on 3/4" wrapped canvas

Sparks Lake Wildflowers

I've always wanted a painting of Sparks Lake, Oregon, as a reminder of all the wonderful days we have spent canoe camping there, year after year. So much fun canoeing, swimming, painting, hiking, being with dear friends and family. There's no place like it anywhere. I finally made the attempt to paint one of the many beautiful viewpoints, and this painting includes South Sister reflecting in the lake, along with wildflowers growing in the lava rock islands. It's like this every year! I tried to keep it "loose" but definitely representative, and I'm happy with how it turned out.

 

Sparks Lake Wildflowers © Dorothy Jenson 2015

16x20 inches on wrapped canvas

Wolf Duo

Another week, another challenge! This time we are encouraged to paint "animals that mate for life". When I looked online for a list of animals that fit the category, I found that the statement itself is challenged, but no matter. Some animals are come pretty close to the standard! I decided to paint wolves and found a great reference photo by ESP on the Paint My Photo website. It has an unusual vantage point of looking slightly down upon the wolves and I found it interesting. Don't know if this is really a "couple", but we can just pretend, right?

Wolf Duo  © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6x6 inch oil on gessobord

Lavender Farm with Tractor

Probably most artists want to paint a lavender field at some time, and I'm no different in that respect. Last night I was looking through the Paint My Photo website, looking for something fun to paint, when my imagination was caught by a lovely photo offered by Sandi Lear. She called it "Shades of Purple", but my painting is called "Lavender Farm with Tractor". Not very original, I know, but in case I do lavenders again, I want to remember that this particular painting has a tractor in it! I really, really enjoyed painting this, especially that cute little tractor. :)

Lavender Farm with Tractor © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6 x6 inch oil on Gessobord panel

Winter Trees

Still thinking about tree gestures, which is the Daily Paintworks weekly challenge, and was prowling through photos in the morgue file online, when this sweet image came to view. Simple, yet breathtakingly beautiful. I knew I would have to paint it. I thought about calling it "Pink Sky", but the subject is really the trees, so there you have it. I love it, especially the delicate branches in the bare tree tops. Plus that lavender, bluish field of snow.

Winter Trees © Dorothy Jenson 2015

6 x 6 inch oil on Gessobord panel