JVA. That’s me. Jean V. Adams. When I was in college, there were five other Jean Adamses in the phone book (remember phone books?). I used to get calls for one of them all the time. She was a dance instructor. Since then, I’ve clung to my middle initial as part of my identity.
I have always loved art. I doodled as a kid, but never really got into drawing. I was particularly fascinated by geometric shapes and graphic design. I used to silk screen and lino block print greeting cards.
In 2022, I read Mary Gabriel’s “Ninth Street Women” about five abstract artists who go to great lengths to paint in spite of the lack of resources or support. It took me a long time to read the book. I kept putting it down and picking it up again. Spending all that time in the (figurative) company of these artists made me start to look at things differently. Then, one day, I bought a paintbrush and some paint on a whim. I was immediately captivated by color mixing, amazed at the rainbow of hues I could make from combinations of red, yellow, and blue.
That was it. I was hooked. I continue to enjoy painting and I savor the process of learning, experimenting, and growing as an artist.
I am finding my way … with bold strokes of color.
