Knight Street, Oil on Paper; © Jennifer Pohl

In this spirit of today’s Illustration Friday I’ve decided to post as promptly as possible. I love to walk, so cars passing me often seem pretty speedy.

Friends may laugh at the thought of me and the concept of speed. I tend to work many pieces over months –and sometimes years– reworking, layering, and letting the work breathe so I can go back with new eyes and keep the colours fresh. But this tiny piece (the first of my night scenes, and my first to appear in a commercial gallery) was done in a single sitting the day it was to be installed, and the minute it was finished I called a cab to deliver it just in time for the opening. Sometimes it’s very hard to stop painting. I take solace in the fact that celebrated painters like Ross Bleckner have been known to ship wet paintings, and Turner was said to retouch and varnish his paintings while hanging in the gallery. More recent examples from the night scenes series can be seen in my new online gallery.

On the Shore, Oil on Masonite; © Jennifer Pohl

A childhood memory.

Prescott Street, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

This little painting was the view from my studio several years ago. Thankfully, the nice man in the corner store used to let me put food on credit while I was working on my Night Scenes series, or I might have gone far more hungry. Here is a far bigger painting from the same series.

My apologies for not posting more recent work these past few weeks. I thought I may have had a strange flu and have been trying to save my energy for the work I have in process. It turns out I’m pregnant. Luckily, this time my egg tempera work is underway and I don’t have to be worried about lead poisoning from oils. It’s a much healthier medium to work with and use around small children.

I may not be able to blog quite as often for the next year, but I will do my best to update things when I can. One of the symptoms I’m experiencing is akin to sea sickness every time I look at the computer monitor. Pregnancy was more fun the first time when I could get more sleep and I wasn’t trying to nurse, but I know it will be worth it.

Bluebells , Egg Tempera on Paper; © Jennifer Pohl

Every now and then I put a piece back, and later pick it up again to find that it suddenly feels finished. This is one of them; I didn’t want to overwork this little painting, which is a study for a larger and more ambitious piece, as well as my first official work in egg tempera making its way to a real world gallery. (You can also see it in an earlier stage and read about how it began.)