Meet the Artist
Andrea Jacobsen
Artist | Poet
The Inspiration
My work is inspired by the "both/and" that makes up the feminine experience. Like gardens, women have both roots strong enough to hold up fruit trees and soil gentle enough to make way for budding flowers. Our lives consist of opposing experiences harmonized together into a beautiful melancholy of abundance and scarcity, hope and grief, romance and resilience. And it is here that I am most intrigued; capturing these poetic contrasts through the intimacy of storytelling.
Although I often paint women, the feminine is more about how we see the world and less about the subject matter. It is a way of experiencing everyday life like a garden; overflowing with abundance and luxury yet pruned with purpose and toil. This perfectly balanced, yet wonderfully messy, contrast, I believe, is the true mystery of the feminine.
Why Artwork & Poetry?
Both art and storytelling have been part of my life as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting with my mom as she drew portraits or staying up late at night with my siblings as we begged my dad to read just one more chapter ofThe Chronicles of Narnia. She was the artist, and he was the storyteller. This duo led to opportunities outside of the home as “chalk talk” performances – essentially a live narrated art experience where one person creates a beautiful drawing while the other tells a story. When I felt a tug on my heart to share stories of hope through art, it was only natural to combine the visual with the written.
By leaning into the complexity of a painting while pairing it with the simplicity of a poem, I find a beautifully balanced story for both the artist and the viewer alike.
Behind the Process
As a child I was initially drawn to art because of my curiosity rather than my desire for self expression. It was in the process of learning how light works, the nuances of color theory, and the challenge of capturing a portrait that I found joy. Now as an adult, I protect that same curiosity by allowing my art process to incorporate a variety of mediums whether that be oil paintings, charcoal drawings, line and ink work, abstracts, and more. Learning, exploring, discovering new methods of creating is where I find my creative passion.