In PAL’s Nancy Thompson Memorial Wall Exhibition inside the Firehouse Arts Center, Jean Batchelder displays her watercolor paintings.
‘’Every single thing I paint is emotionally inspired and brings back memories for me. And there’s a story behind everything I paint,” Batchelder said.
Grief and art
Jean said she has been painting for approximately 75 years. Each of her paintings has a story behind it. Now, Batchelder intends to honor the memory of her deceased husband through her paintings, which depict places she and her husband used to visit.
“I lost my husband a couple of years ago, and a lot of the paintings I did were of places that he and I had shared together that were precious to us. So it was a way to work with my grief and honor him,” Batchelder said.
Beyond serving as a way to remember her husband, painting has helped Batchelder process her emotions.
“Art can be an expression of our emotions, our mental state, our hopes and aspirations, grief, and depression,” Batchelder said.
Inspiration in the community
In addition to painting memories special to her, Batchelder memorializes other members of her community.
‘’I love this [painting of this] tree, and it was also a very special place for my brother, who passed away two years ago,” exhibit visitor Robbie See said.
Many of her paintings focus on the local area. Batchelder is an avid hiker, and she incorporates the nature she finds into her work. Batchelder also paints grape vines, drawing inspiration from her surroundings in Livermore.
“It makes me proud because it’s our town,” exhibit visitor Jenise Batchelder said.
The creative process
Rather than set up her easel outdoors, Batchelder tends to take photographs of her subjects. This way, she can come back to her inspiration later and more accurately capture the moment.
“When I go for walks, which I love to walk, I will spot something that catches my eye and tugs at my emotions. So I take a lot of pictures, photos, and then I go use those as a reference to paint,” Batchelder said.
When she does set up her easel, she paints with watercolors on Yupo paper. By painting on the more synthetic paper, Batchelder has more control of where her paints go. This way, her work can be more detailed.
“It’s peaceful, but it isn’t boring. It’s both peaceful and energizing,” See said.
