Jen Hinson
I am an abstract artist. I use meditation and intuitive methods to tap into my creativity. I enjoy sitting at my canvas without a plan and just start painting.
Q&A with Jennifer Hinson
How would you describe your background?
By day I am a Sr. Analyst for a local healthcare system. I do not have an art background. I liked looking at art work but never thought about doing it. For the life of me I cannot draw a stick figure. I am self-taught and new to creating pieces of art.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
My late husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. Dartmouth Health offers arts as a way to work through feelings. I think most of us know being creative helps the healing process. After a few classes, the person that I was working with kept encouraging me to keep creating and sharing my work as she thought I was talented. I kept creating but was afraid to put my artwork out there until about a year ago. I am glad she kept encouraging me because my art is taking me places I never thought possible.
What would surprise people to learn about you?
I love photography. I am a strong advocate for caregivers of family members. I have lost 2 husbands to different types of cancers. I have been part of a couple of grants. One of those grants was to design an online support group for caregivers and bereaved. I also helped design a questionnaire for palliative care to use with patients and caregivers. I have also helped contribute to several academic papers.
What achievements in the area of art are you proudest of?
Dartmouth Health Cancer selected one of the pieces to put on postcards they were creating for their 50th anniversary. I don’t really have any major achievements in the art world. However, I am proud that I am using art to tell my story.
How would you describe your art process?
I am an abstract artist. I use meditation and intuitive methods to tap into my creativity. I enjoy sitting at my canvas without a plan and just start painting. For me to create art I need to connect with my soul and let go of any boundaries or rules. I use art as a way to express myself when I can’t find the words. I have used art to deal with trauma and the death of my husband. I love using colors, textures and layers. I love lines because the lines always connect to something. If you look at the world around you everything is connected by lines. My goal is for a person to look at the piece and identify and connect with the piece.
My late husband always said my paintings looked like my thoughts. He would say, “It doesn’t make sense to me but I can see you in each piece. Heaven help me if I ever had to get into your head. It is way too busy in there.”
What is your usual studio/working day like?
I work full time and I don’t always have a lot of time to work on my artwork. However, I do like to do a little bit each night or on the weekends. Currently, I am setting up a blog. I am also working on sharing processes with other individuals. I want people to know anyone can use art to work through trauma or emotions that are hard to talk about.
What is the most delightful part of your life outside of work?
I have started horse riding lessons. My goal is to go to Scotland and Ireland and have a riding vacation. I love nature photography.