Celia Jackson

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Yuan Portraits

"Yuan" is a Chinese character that means something like "affinity", or relationships that are pre-determined by fate. Some say it is an invisible string that connects people, things, and places together. To me, this is a beautiful word that describes an intangible magic that keeps people coming back together, bumping into each other, and interacting in deep and meaningful ways in this crazy world.

I love to paint people, especially when they are interacting with the world around them. I enjoy painting couples playing games together ­ backgammon, cards, chess ­ because through the course of the game all of their emotions have a chance to come out and dance. I try to capture that intricate balance between what they share through their devotion to each other as a couple and the spirit that makes them unique individuals.

I began doing portraits with pen and ink around ten years ago, usually when my friends where playing music together, or just sitting around chatting. Now, I like to paint on wood and found objects. I really get into my paintings with all my energy ­ scratching, wiping, layering, splashing, dripping, dabbing, scraping ­ to create layers upon layers of color. At the very end I add small bits of collage and details to symbolize the story of the person or people I am painting, and then I coat everything in a thick varnish-turning the whole piece into one underwater jewel.

I call my work "Yuan Portraits" because I paint these portraits from life. During a sitting my subject and I share time and in a way share a slice of our lives, a piece of aesthetic fate. When I paint a couple, I hope to seal their fate together to last a lifetime ­ a lifetime of stories, love, and fun. When I paint a family, or a group of people, I try to preserve that particular and unique moment in their lives, lives that will continue to grow and change. Painting an individual person gives me the chance to try and capture a quiet essence of their soul in the midst of fleeting time.

For more information on Celia, please check out Celia's page on ArtVanSF.

If you are interested in aquiring a Celia Jackson portrait or piece of fine art, please contact me or Celia by sending an email to celiajackson@hotmail.com. I have several of her works for sale. Email me and I'll arrange for you to see the work!