artiste d'mon >>> jennifer janesko

The World of Pin Up Art is
Alive and Well
Interview by: silverio pantalla

"Roping the Moon" © 2002 Janesko

How is it like to be you as an artist?
Being an artist is wonderful. I am living a life where I am doing what I love on a daily basis.

What made you decide to become the artist you are today?
It was never a decision I made, but a process that lead to this point. You can't really decide to become an artist, creative talents are within you when you are born and you develop your life around these skills. It is natural that you find yourself doing the thing you are most passionate about.

Run by us a typical in your life? (How do you get ready?, How do you work?, What patterns? etc.)
Ideas can develop from any source. Ideas are created from living your life. I will see a beautiful color scheme, watch a music video, read a fashion magazine and it spurs and idea. Once I have a concept I sketch it out on a large piece of paper, fine tuning it until it is developed. I then transfer the sketch to an illustration board where the painting process begins. I rarely deviate from the transferred sketch. Sometimes slight details can change, such as the hair or texture of the background. I like to work on one painting from start to finish before beginning another.

Why pin up art?
It was a natural transition for me. I was creating beautiful female imagery in fashion illustration jobs. I decided to take the glamorous nature of fashion and mix it with the sensual allure of pinup. I am only interested in painting women and have found that my favorite subject ever since I was young child.

" Echo Portrait" © 2002 Janesko

How did you get Playboy and other publications to notice your work?
I spend a great deal of time planning my marketing and business approaches. There is no mystery in getting the attention of other companies. Business works the same way in almost every field, you maintain integrity, remain professional and respect people's time. I want to develop ways to introduce my art to other companies and collectors in ways that I would prefer to discover something new.

What is your most important goal in life as a person and as an artist?
In life I value happiness and peace. Doing what I love for a living somewhat meets these needs, but there is also a personal side to life that has specific needs to be met. I have always felt like I have had more control over my professional happiness, so my attention is there.

" Suzi Portrait" © 2002 Janesko

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet and why?
I admire many artists who have passed on, but I don't feel the need to meet them in person. If I am able to meet artists I admire who are living today, it would be a wonderful gift.

I have found that I have derived the most richness from people that have come into my life as it casually plays out. The unexpected relationships have been some of the most important.

What is the biggest misunderstanding about yourself?
That there is some deep sexual meaning behind why I paint women or that I paint women to exploit female sexuality. I paint what I paint because I just happen to connect with glamour and a sexually empowered women.

There are artists who only paint dogs, but that is not a huge subject of debate.

Who have been some of your main influences as an artist and a person?
My father was very artistic and he opened up a world to me that felt more comfortable then any other place I had been. My father's death brought me even closer to my mom, who has lifted a lot of the burden off me as my business grows larger. She may have wondered if I could make a living in the beginning, but now she is truly enjoying what has developed for me.

What are your immediate plans for the future?

"Flamenco" © 2002 Janesko

A book of my art was a desire I had for many years and now it has come to be. With many of my "first time" goals completed, I will continue to build on my current inventory by adding more options for collectors. Options include new prints and various other merchandise. I would also like to do less exhibitions, and make the showings I do attend, larger and more significant.

With all that said, it would be nice to reconnect with the core of my business........painting.