About

Jean, Xochitl, Chucho (right) and his cousin were invited to pose with the winning team (which includes another cousin).

In 2001 Jean moved to the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. There she fell in love with the culture of strong ties to family, friends and community, and with the ancient traditions that have survived the centuries. These qualities have become the central themes of her work.

Jean's home and studio is located in the rural village of San Andrés Huayapam, where she lives with her husband Chucho and daughter Xochitl.

Artist's Statement

The house I grew up in was filled with color and design—Persian rugs on the floors, intricately patterned tiles in the bathrooms, paintings on the walls, the carved furniture dressed in embroidered tablecloths and woven runners, footstools with needlepoint designs, chairs adorned with colorful handmade pillows. My parents both came from immigrant families—from Holland and Norway, and much of the design and color came from things that had been in the family for years.

Everywhere we went, as a family, my parents exposed us to art and architecture, my mother, herself an artist and scholar of art history, narrating the details of all we saw. As a child, I was particularly taken by Russian folk paintings, and by primitives of all kinds. Later, as an adult, I became fascinated with Latin American folk art, which contains similar elements.

Mexico is a country charged with color and sound, both in its natural world and in its culture. From my first trip to Mexico, in 1997, I was drawn to the vibrancy and spirit of the people. In 2001, I moved to Oaxaca, in Southern Mexico, and from the start, I have felt at home in this culture of strong ties to family akin to the culture I grew up with.

Here in my adopted country, surrounded by color and light, I try to capture the vibrancy of the land and the vitality of its ancient culture, which bring me daily happiness.

By nature, I am a slow and meditative person, and by the same token, I am not a fast painter. I’m pleased to have learned about giclée prints -- beautiful and accurate reproductions that make my work more accessible. I hope, through my paintings, I can convey some of the beauty and flavor of Mexico to other parts of the world. I greatly appreciate all the encouragement and feedback I have been given.