Jewelry
Copper Pin
Forged copper
Forged copper
Nickel silver sphere
*******
Brass and Silver Mokume Ornament
Twisted steel pin
Pierced and formed
*******
Close-up of Mokume Ornament as seen above
*******
Shawl Pin
Forged copper
Forged copper
*******
Sculptures
Sculpture #81211-1
Carved walnut
Carved walnut
*******
Sculpture #81211-2
Carved Red Oak
Carved Red Oak
*******
Sculpture #81211-3
Carrera Marble
Carrera Marble
*******
Opposite view of Sculpture #81211-3
Carrera Marble
Carrera Marble
*******
Paintings
Painting #81211-4
Acrylic
Acrylic
*******
Painting #81211-5
Acrylic
Acrylic
*******
Painting #81211-6
Acrylic
Acrylic
*******
“Life with Tammy”
Acrylic
Acrylic
*******
Brian Jensen is a versatile artist who regards the world’s materials
as means to communicate the beauty of this world.
as means to communicate the beauty of this world.
He pivots freely among the various mediums producing art with grace.
I hope you have enjoyed viewing Brian Jensen’s artwork, as I have.
I foresee both Brian and his artistic wife Tamara Jensen going places with their artwork.
Thank you, Brian, for sharing your art with us.
*******
Next Friday: “Art Inspires Art” will feature artwork
by the talented artist Diane Rattner, also known as “The Cat Lady.” Stay tuned.
*******
Brian Jensen
Brian enjoys the sensory attributes of the materials he works with. The warmth of forged metal, the cool feel of clay, or the fragrance of freshly carved walnut are what enhance the experience of creating. Brian has always been interested in many forms of art, yet he had very little formal training in art until college. While in college Brian did not train for a career in art, rather he followed a scientific curriculum, yet found time to include
undergraduate and graduate classes in metal, clay, and sculpture.
undergraduate and graduate classes in metal, clay, and sculpture.
Form is paramount to Brian. He tends toward the organic rather than the mechanistic in his work, which can be seen most clearly in the metalwork he creates. He believes himself to have been the fortunate student of some of the finest professors in those fields.
Professors Chuck Evans and Phillip Allen provided extremely well equipped studios
with clear but open teaching styles and emphasis on striving for perfection of form and technique. Professor Paul Shao taught Brian the fundamentals of sculpture, emphasizing the refinement of form. Brian was given the opportunity to assist Professor Shao
in casting some of the professor’s metal sculpture
and finishing some of the professor’s wood sculpture for display.
Other major influences include:
the works of Henry Moore, with massive, iconic minimalist sculpture,
Alexander Calder showing how steel can move and respond to even the slightest wind,
the works of Henry Moore, with massive, iconic minimalist sculpture,
Alexander Calder showing how steel can move and respond to even the slightest wind,
and Heikki Seppa, whose mastery of hollow ware and refined forms
remains unmatched today.
These individuals, both alive and dead, have shaped Brian’s understanding of how art can make people feel and what it can convey. They have collectively given him a foundation of technical knowledge and an appreciation of the aesthetic that vision and hard work can achieve. They have shown Brian that his interest lies primarily in three-dimensional work, although some of his favorite works to study are paintings in the impressionist style,
just because he likes them.
Finally, Brian maintains that mistakes are part of the process
and vital to the creative outcome.
He will say that most of his work, especially the works he likes the best
and vital to the creative outcome.
He will say that most of his work, especially the works he likes the best
come from a concerted effort to fix what he technically phrases as ‘a screw up’.
“We all have them; it is how you deal with them that matters.”
A former art and science instructor in the Illinois Public School System,
Brian Jensen has had work exhibited in several venues,
including the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa.
Brian Jensen has had work exhibited in several venues,
including the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa.
He works in various media, including stoneware, both hand built and thrown, metalwork,
and knives incorporating traditional techniques of raising, forging, and pattern welding.