Artist Statement on mixed media photography

Artist Statement

As an artist, my objective is to make art that is both revealing and accessible but which also acts as a muse for the viewer, one that inspires anticipation and provides intellectual and visual stimulation.

I gather my inspiration from people, books, dreams, or unexpected emotions. I paint in series on different themes, working predominantly in collage and mixed media. I paint complex forms, shapes, and lines in bold colors to express my emotions and thoughts, and my spark for life and beauty. For me, the color yellow signifies hope, and the color gold shows richness of the soul.

I find that the challenge in painting comes when the painter sees something beyond the surface of the subject matter. The successful execution of techniques in a painting is only a matter of practice. The real challenge is to bring out what is beyond the surface, whether it is the feeling or the character. Once it is discovered and unearthed from the depth of the surface, then the painting is complete.

The same theory applies to the viewer. Some see the surface and others see the depth. That is when the love for a piece of art begins.

I, as an artist, grow with my art, keeping my horizons open and exciting, challenging my creativity. My purpose and aim is to be able to have a visual language interaction with the viewer, capturing their lingering thoughts. It is my hope that this spark of life within the created forms will provoke inquiry into the realms of emotion and intellect. If I am able to achieve just this, then I see that painting as a successful work.

Artist Bio

Jaleh's first painting (age 14)

When I was a child, I used to stare at my mother’s beautiful oil paintings and dream of becoming an artist just like her. Much later, I left a career in cancer research to raise my own family. During that time, I rediscovered my childhood passion, and became committed to the academic, personal, and professional pursuit of art.

Born in Azerbaijan, Iran, and educated in England, since 1970 I have resided in the United States. In 1986, I received a Fine Arts Degree from California State University Northridge. Since 1993, my work has been widely exhibited in Bay Area galleries as well as in Hawaii and New Mexico. I have been the recipient of several awards and I have exhibited internationally in Paris, France, Stockholm, Sweden and in an on-line show in Beijing, China. I am published in International Women Artists (Vol. 1, 1997 and Vol. 2, 2001), 100 Contemporary Artists, The Art of Layering: Making Connection (The Society of Layerist in Multimedia, 2004) and Art Addiction-World of Art Books (Stockholm, Venice, Vol. 1, 2003). Presently I reside with my family in Marin County in Northern California.