In the Studio with Artist Lillian Jacobson
Today, we’re going In the Studio with artist Lillian Jacobson. Jacobson’s artwork will be on display in the Chesapeake Arts Center’s Voices of Hispanic & Latinx Artists gallery exhibit, September 7 - October 17.
Lillian Jacobson is a figure painter based in Baltimore, Maryland, whose works explore themes of identity, introspection, and the interplay of personal and collective narratives. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, and growing up in Maryland, Lillian brings a rich cultural background and a unique blend of perspectives to her artistic practice. Lillian earned a BFA in painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Lillian's work has been recognized and celebrated in various group exhibitions across Maryland. With each exhibition, Lillian expands her reach and sparks meaningful conversations as viewers are invited to embark on their own introspective journeys.
As an oil painter who specializes in realistic figure painting, my work explores the complex layers of identity. My paintings aim to reveal the essence of the individual depicted, by using carefully chosen patterns that represent specific characteristics of their identity. The limited, but vibrant color palette, further highlights who the subjects are and the emotions associated with them. I aim to engage viewers on an emotional and intellectual level, giving them just enough insight into my subjects to invite them in, but allowing them to develop their own personal connection with the paintings.
What does your artwork represent?
I explore a person’s identity through portrait paintings overlaid with imagery to symbolize the characteristics of their identity. I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now… is a self portrait that is a bit more meta than others I’ve painted because yes, I am still reflecting on who I am as a person, but this painting is meant to depict that very act of self-reflection. My arms and hands are posed as if I am searching for information and my fingertips are slightly bent as if I am manipulating what I’m finding.
The clouds symbolize contemplation. If you stare at the clouds long enough, you start to make out images your brain wants you to see. I referenced that in this painting by having two clouds on the left slightly resemble recognizable shapes — you may be able to make out a squirrel holding an acorn that is being handed to him by a stretched out mid-dunk Michael Jordan.
The colors in this piece are those of the Colombian flag because although I was raised in the US, being born in Colombian and seen as Latiné has had a significant presence on my life.
The title is taken from a Joni Mitchell song, Both Sides Now. I fell in love with the song again after watching a video of Joni recently performing it and was so inspired. The song was released in the 60s but hearing the lyrics as she now sings it in her 70s makes the song even more relatable to me. It is validating to hear someone who has lived much longer than I have sing “I really don’t know life at all.”
When do you art? (before coffee, after bed, when inspiration strikes...)
I need a routine and schedule to make art. I like to paint after I have my post-workout shower. My mind is always clear and ready to focus at that time.
I think I’m a motivated person, but it’s hard for me to feel motivated, so I rely on the discipline that comes with having a routine to get myself to stand in front of my easel and start to work. I love to paint once I get started and can paint for hours at a time, but it really helps me to have a set time for painting so I don’t have to even think about when or how to start again.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on three more portrait paintings with images projected across the faces and backgrounds. Two are inspired by natural imagery and the third is an illustrated pattern to depict artificiality. I’m also refreshing my website and will make it live again once these three in-progress works are completed and photographed.
What do you feel makes your art stand out?
My use of projected imagery and patterns makes my portrait paintings unique. It isn’t something that is often seen in paintings, although projected light is used a lot in portrait photography. My art uses vibrant colors that are definitely attention-grabbing. I think my art also connects with people on both an intellectual and an emotional level which I’ve seen spark conversations with people who view my work.
What style, genre or medium of art excites you the most?
I love art where my eyes are confused and I can’t figure out how the artist even made it. As an artist, I look at techniques as much as I look at the finished piece and what it is meant to depict. As a painter, even if a painting is gorgeous, I am not as impressed if I can tell exactly what size and shape brush was used and where.
For this reason, my favorite artist is Mark Bradford. I consider him the greatest painter ever and he doesn’t even use paint. He prides himself on making art out of materials you can buy at a hardware store or salvage from other everyday places. He deconstructs and reconstructs the most unconventional collages pieces in ways I can’t begin to figure out and also creates breathtakingly stunning finished pieces.
Do you work on one piece of art at a time, or multiple?
I always have multiple works in-progress at a time, but I need to separate when I work on each. Even when I have the full day to paint and I finish a layer on one painting, I can’t just jump into another. I need at least an hourlong break in between to wash my brushes, maybe step outside or drink some tea, set up my workspace for the next painting and switch out my palette, then I can begin.
Tell me about your favorite medium.
I adore oil painting. I love that it’s slow-drying enough that I can gently blend areas that are next to each other for a soft finish. I choose to paint on the thinner side, because I am fascinated that I can build up a lot of layers of paint and a decision I made in the first layer can still be seen in the finished piece.
One technique that I like is color weaving complementary colors to create black. It takes so much longer than mixing black or using black out of the tube in one layer, but the end result is so worth it to me. By laying down one layer of red, waiting for it to dry to add a layer of green, then repeating until it’s dark enough, I can get shadows that physically have more depth from the number of layers, but also look so much deeper than if I mixed black in one layer.
Voices of Hispanic and Latinx Artists
Hal Gomer Gallery | September 7 2023 - October 17, 2023
Artist Reception: September 21, 6 pm - 8 pm
Gallery Hours:
Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm | Saturday 10am-1pm