Art at Argo’s enthusiastically welcomes Jeanie Coy Auseon this quarter with her exhibit, Play Persistently, on display at our Upper Arlington showroom April 5 – June 5, 2021. Jeanie is an Upper Arlington resident who has been creating her entire life. However, since retirement, she has dedicated much of her time to 2D art.
Jeanie is a “process artist”, absorbed in the technique and procedures of her art. She has journeyed through surface design in multiple forms such as batik on silk, silk screening, printmaking, oil paint and cold wax, and has stretched the boundaries of each by exploring different techniques. The problem solver in her is drawn to these art forms.
In the exhibit, “Play Persistently,” she treats our visitors to a breathtaking assortment of media. The inspiration for her artwork is nature, but also the shadows or voids in the realistic view. She is intrigued by the way daylight plays off objects. She tends to avoid any recognizable subject matter as she wants viewers to interpret her works in their own way. Her abstract style draws you in, as the color, composition, mood and feeling may vary. Jeanie naturally prefers warmer colors and some have observed an Asian influence in her work, perhaps from the times she visited China and Japan. “Play & Wonder,” an example of the artist pushing her comfort zone, using blues. We invite you to explore her work, both online and in-store through June 5th, and come to your own conclusions.
More About The Artist
Jeanie was born in a small college town in Missouri and raised in a family of craftsman/artists. Her mother was a professional seamstress and her brother’s Boy Scout den mother. Jeanie sat in on most meetings and there was always a craft at hand. Her grandmother was a rural housewife who expressed creativity through her handwork, and cooking. You know what she’s talking about if you ever had one of those “blow your mind” food experiences. Her elder sister was an art teacher, and often, she observed her classes. It seemed a natural progression also to become an art teacher.
Most of Jeanie’s adult life has been here in Upper Arlington. As an art teacher in both Windermere and Tremont schools, she has had a significant impact on UA arts. She also held the position of K-12 Fine Arts Teacher Leader for Instruction, working with the 40 art and music teachers in all 8 UA schools. She has dedicated most of her working life to teaching and advocating for the arts.
The Impact of Covid on Her Work
Jeanie shares a Worthington studio with other artists and also has a home studio, but during the pandemic, her work has been completely out of her home studio. Not seeing the other artists has had an enormous impact, as just sharing the space and bouncing ideas from artist to artist has always influenced her work. All of her other networking groups have also stopped in-person meetings during the pandemic, such as the Ohio, Worthington and UA Leagues, and her multiple book clubs. This isolation has definitely motivated her to create through positivity and keeping her spirits up. Highlighted here is “Persistency,” a profound piece made to instill patience and persistence, a common theme throughout the pandemic. She created the 9” x 9” piece in her own studio using oil paint/cold wax, a media new to her.
Jeanie’s work is also on display just down the street as part of UA’s “Art in Public Places” project, where 10 Columbus artists’ works can be seen on electrical boxes throughout UA. The project was part of a national effort to make art accessible to everyone. The artwork selected for this project is Motion Series #3 located at Milden and Tremont Road.
Starting May 10, 2021, she will have a piece in the “Best of 2020/2021,” juried exhibit at the Ohio Craft Museum, May 10-July11 in Grandview, www.Ohiocraft.org. This annual, state-wide exhibit was delayed due to the pandemic.
To see other works from Jeanie, check out her website.
In addition, her works can be found on the following sites: