Kimberly D. English

BIO

Art has always been a part of Kimberly English’s life. As a child she would spend her time drawing characters from VCR boxes and comic strip clippings from the local newspaper. When entering high school, Kimberly was chosen to be in the first class of Salem County Vocational Technical School’s Art Academy hosted at Arthur P. Schalick High School. After high school, she continued her education through the NJ Stars I & II scholarship at Salem Community College and Rowan University where she studied under world-renowned acrylic landscape artist, Daniel Chard.

In May of 2010, Kimberly English graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rowan University with a B.A. in Art Education and a B.A. in K-12 Subject-Matter Teaching. She is an acrylic landscape painter and certified art teacher who has taught as a tenured teacher at Mary E. Roberts Elementary School in Moorestown and Gloucester County College. After the birth of her daughter, Kimberly resigned as a public school teacher and has focused on teaching art privately to children and adults, which allows her the flexibility to put her family and art career first. She resides with her husband, Chester, and their children, Courtney and Kent, in the rural farming town of Aldine, NJ. The surroundings provide endless subject matter and artistic inspiration while the atmosphere offers the opportunity for reflection.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The paintings I create are landscapes that serve as a visual autobiography of the places I have been and have influenced who I am. Each painting has a distinct meaning to me and most have specific stories of how the painting came to fruition. I believe that surroundings are influential to a person’s well being and where you chose to reside reflects in your spirit. The imagery I create focuses upon the agricultural landscape of southern New Jersey.  Most are personal places: my in-laws homestead, my husband’s family farm, or the town in which I reside, Aldine. Other paintings capture a moment from a vacation or a beautiful scene from the roadside that peaks my interest.

All of my paintings begin from digital photographs taken while I am within the landscape. I use various photos to create the composition and use them as a reference for colors and textures found within the setting. My approach to rendering landscapes and other subject matter is rooted in the desire to reverse the 21st century mentality for instant gratification; details are often forgone. Meticulous rendering provides the opportunity to focus upon delivering substantial visual information. Viewers are invited to reflect upon the work and consider the details that are presented. It is my hope, that through my artwork, I can help viewers see and appreciate the beauty that surrounds them everyday.

CV_Kimberly English