Artists Paris and Jill

I recently came across some lovely paintings by Jill Barton and Paris Gerrard, who are mom and daughter respectively. Don't these pancakes look scrumptious? And wouldn't it be nice to make a stack of these on a stormy weekend morning? Paris said she loves the immediacy of painting--how it brings her into a direct and instant involvement with the work. She said it almost seems as though the painting itself is alive and active in the process. She often begins with an image that speaks to her, or if she's working abstractly, with perhaps just a feeling or color. Sometimes she feels her work is bold and serious, sometimes it feels light, perhaps even sweet. No matter what, for her, it is an evolution that becomes a process of discovery.

Jill and Paris share a studio and paint together almost every day. They also collaborate on paintings sometimes. Paris told me that her mom's paintings are often textural with layers of complimentary elements. For instance, she often adds metal leaf into her paintings and loves to explore working with new surfaces and mediums. Her painting Stormy Day II is painted on a slate tile.

Dollar Pancakes by Paris and Stormy Day II by Jill