By Julie Osterman
Unlike many young artists who are urged by their parents to choose a more practical profession, Jami Tobey-Kiendra was always encouraged to explore her creativity. This isn’t surprising considering that her parents are well-known sculptors Gene and Rebecca Tobey, and her brother, Joshua, also sculpts. “I grew up knowing all these artists and thought that was what people do for a living,” says Tobey-Kiendra, 31, who paints watercolor and acrylic landscapes and still lifes with a bold, colorful palette.
For her landscape pieces, the Southern California artist finds inspiration in the great outdoors. “Whenever we’re on a walk or on a drive, I can take a snapshot and think, ‘I’m going to paint that,’” she explains. “You can do the same thing several times and make it different every time.” Experimenting with this idea of varied perspectives, Tobey-Kiendra painted the predominantly blue spring field after one of her frequent road trips to Northern California. “Everything is very yellow up there, but I wanted to take a color you won’t see in nature and put it in there,” says the artist, who sites Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Fran Larsen, and Robert Striffolino as influences on her work.
Her paintings are on view in a show opening on January 14 at Adagio Galleries in Palm Springs, CA, along with work by Gene, Rebecca, and Joshua Tobey. Tobey-Kiendra is also represented by Karin Newby Gallery, Tubac, AZ.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” December 2005