Artist's Statement​

​

My art is a celebration of the raw energy and untamed personalities of the animal kingdom. By breaking away from realistic color palettes, I aim to capture the invisible essence, playfulness, and hidden emotions of my subjects. Through vibrant hues and expressive brushstrokes, I invite viewers to pause and experience a sense of childlike wonder. My goal is not just to paint an animal, but to translate its unique spirit onto the canvas, turning every piece into a colorful dialogue of life, joy, and connection.

 

Bio

Jennifer Zhang is a Wallingford-based animal artist who captures the soul and character of wildlife and pets. Working primarily in acrylics and oil, Jennifer combines vibrant colors, meticulous detail and confident brushstrokes to bring domestic animals, exotic wildlife and local birds to life. 

 

Jennifer has always been fascinated with animals. She loves their quirks, head tilts, little paws and soulful eyes. Jennifer strives to convey the spirit she sees in animals and gives a glimpse into their character. Sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes peaceful 

 

Jennifer’s art has been featured in local exhibitions, collected internationally, and recognized by local libraries, galleries, flower and coffee shops. Through her expressive portraits, the ultimate goal is to bring a smile to the viewer, raise awareness for animal welfare, and highlight the fragile beauty of nature.

​

 

​

My Story​​

​

When Yan was a child she particularly admired a few of her elementary and middle school classmates who could draw a figure beautifully. Finally in 2007, on the occasion of moving from a small town in China to the bigger city of Hang Zhou while employed in the fashion industry, and during her birthday month, Yan decided to give herself the gift of a course in Fashion Design. The knowledge she gained about paper patterns, sewing technology and grading fabric enable her to better serve her oversea's clients and better communicate with her company's technicians. At the same time, the course  gave her a foundation of free hand drawing skills, understanding color wheels, use of contrasts and maintaining proportions in drawing and painting.  

​

However, Yan did not have time to actively pursue her passion to draw and paint until arriving in the Unites States, and painted her first paining in the United States in 2016 by following Youtube videos. Since then she has seized the time between clients in her wellness practice to draw and paint, and used income from her practice to continue her training as an artist. In 2018 and 2019 Yan took acrylic painting and oil portrait classes in the local Branford Art Studio, studying with Marc Anthony Massaro who had over 40 years of experience as an artist specializing in human and pets portraits. 

​

On Dec1st 2023, Yan enrolled in master’s program at the Milan Art Institute in Florida, studying under world renowned artists Elli, Dimitra and John Milan . As she explains, “Art is always taking me places and bringing me closer to my dream”. Her path has revealed itself one step at a time, right when she was ready to take it. She follows it with perseverance, faith & courage.

 

Yan's painting practice is inspired by nature and the human experience; and her art reflects her observation and experiences.“I love to paint portraits, figures and wildlife, reflecting our most authentic and uplifted selves.” aiming to “hopefully create an atmosphere of potential and beauty”. Yan feels that "art is an innate part of life, existing in countless forms. But in a way, art is simple. It is people's hearts speaking to one another."

​

Yan currently uses and experiments with a combination of modern mixed media and traditional oil techniques. Her paintings celebrate color, form, and texture and meditate on the relationship between light, shadow, and atmosphere. At present, she works primarily in oil on canvas, using delicate glazes and underpainting to create depth and luminosity in her work. Exploring ways to render layered and vibrant imagery. She creates a multi-dimensional, ethereal feeling in her pieces. Painting out of her home studio, Yan loses herself in the process of creating and endeavors to share her passion with an ever-growing audience. She hopes to elevate and enrich people’s lives with art that inspires and feels magnetic.