Artist of the Month│Jessica Reiner
Earlier this year we enlisted the help of the UJC Senior Center's members and art instructors, as well as local artists, to put together an art gallery with the hope of bringing joy to our community.
Every month we'll be sharing interviews with the artists that collaborated with the project.
Jessica Reiner│Manhattan, NYC
Jessica Reiner is an artist based in Manhattan, NYC.
When did you start painting?
I started painting about 18 years ago, but I had to learn to draw a bit before I could actually paint.
Do you have a favorite museum in NYC?
My favorite museum is the Neue Galerie.
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by many things, but color and how it changes is the principal inspiration.
You kindly allowed us to use Still Life for our calendar. Can you tell me about the inspiration behind this piece?
The still life was done while I was taking a Zoom class through Carter Burden Network. The teacher, Lee Brozgol, who died just a few weeks ago, was a truly kind man and a wonderful teacher! Lee taught us to picture objects as spheres, cylinders and cubes, a technique that helped our drawing skills immensely.
What's your favorite thing about NYC?
My favorite thing about NYC is the diversity, the thousands of fascinating faces one can see while walking down the street. I love Red Hook, Brooklyn which is surrounded by water and offers glimpses of past times when shipping was an important industry in NYC.
Learn more about Elsa Yu’s work: