Tori Ray Photography: Jordan Gentry; Artist feature

I am so pleased and honored to introduce to you, Jordan Gentry! It was just last year Jordan and I became friends on Instagram and I knew instantly that I wanted.. no, NEEDED.. to feature her art on my blog. Her painting style is so unique and captivating. Her art compels me to create passionately, and I hope you are all as inspired by her art as I am.

Recently Jordan used one of my photographs as a reference, below is that photograph & her completed work. She did such a beautiful job!

Jordan in her studio

To learn a little more about Jordan, feel free to read her answers to my interview questions below!

1. Where are you at in your life right now, what brought you here, and what kind of future do you see for yourself? Does it involve painting?

I am an artist based in Austin, TX that works primarily in portraits. I have always known that art was an integral part of my identity and purpose, but have only recently begun to seriously pursue my passion for painting. Currently, my time is occupied by working to develop and evolve my personal style, serving at The Blanton Museum of Art, and providing commissions to families and individuals. Each artistic pursuit refines my creativity, knowledge, and technique, respectively. I plan to continue on this path of immersing my self in the art world and look forward to where it will lead me.

2. What/who influenced the developing of your unique geometric style?

I was playing around in my sketchbook one day and rather than blending to create depth like usual, I had an urge to lay down harder lines. So I began building a portrait by enhancing and abstracting geometric forms already present from bone structure and shadow. I immediately fell in love with this new style because it was very freeing creatively, allowing me to break out of traditional rules for shading as well as color.

3. How/where did you learn to paint?

I am actually a self-taught artist. Although I did have some great art teachers in my younger years that really helped to develop skills early and set me on the right track for pursuing my love for art.

4. Do you have any other passions? Or is painting your first and only love?

Painting is definitely my first and greatest love, but I am also fascinated by Art history, Psychology, Philosophy and Design. I have also always been athletic and enjoy tennis and running.

5. What is the best advice you've ever received?

My best advice probably came from my middle school art teacher. I was working on a portrait and had just perfected the nose when I realized it was positioned slightly too low. I had already spent so much time getting the shading and shape just right, so I decided to leave it where it was. But when my teacher came over to review my work she promptly spotted the flaw and told me to erase the nose and start over. I argued back that it wouldn’t make that big of a difference, but she insisted that I should never allow myself to settle for something that is wrong when I am capable of making it right. It was then that I learned that extra time and effort are always worth it to achieve my potential.

I highly encourage you to follow Jordan on Instagram!

To view more of her portfolio, you can visit her website linked below.

Website: http://jgentry.weebly.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/jordge88

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

― Maya Angelou

xoxo

Tor

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