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.

Conor, Egg Tempera & Ink on Paper; © Jennifer Pohl

My footnote post (which was something of an unintentional mixed media piece) may have worked here, but instead I thought I’d show a page from my new Moleskine.

Dancing with Matisse, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

I have family members working in almost every field of endeavour –medicine, business and theatre, to name but a few– but one of my sweet and smart first cousins, Craig Cutler, is something of an artist. He runs his own thriving business in downtown St. John’s at the Trouble Bound Tattoos studio. I’ve been recently trying to convince him to let me do some studies in his shop, because I have a feeling there’s a painting to be found there. Because of my location, and my rapidly advancing due date, it’s a work that won’t happen overnight, so I thought it made sense to post an earlier piece painted for one of my first shows, Mother Mary, Wicked Women and Other Stories, called “Dancing with Matisse”. It seems to be a good fit for the today’s Illustration Friday.

Dancing with Matisse (detail), Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

This morning I was delighted to wake up and hear that one of my favourite poets and people, Agnes Walsh, had been named the first Poet Laureate of the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The last time I had a chance to talk to Agnes –a very multi-talented person– she made a remark about not being comfortable with any one label, whether that was as poet, writer, or performer. But I have a feeling she has to be happy (if not yet comfortable) with this latest title.

I treasure my little first-edition copy of her first book In the Old Country of My Heart for two reasons: her words resonate with me; and I was honored with having one of my paintings placed on the cover.

“All angels… “, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

She once told me that she stood in the gallery with a glass of red wine, in front of this portrait of an angel, and experienced the feeling of falling in love. This is perhaps one of the nicest compliments any of my paintings has ever received. Strangely enough, I experience the same feelings whenever I take a moment for myself and revisit any of her poems.

Above, you will see the painting in its original form, currently owned by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The text, which was removed for the book cover, reads “But, he said, ‘ you do know, don’t you, that all angels are men?” (But that’s another story.)

You can hear a sample of Anges’ work and read other reviews here. I must admit, I really love the new cover for the audio version of the book.