Jennifer Haffke
I’m inspired every day by God’s wonderful creations.
About Jennifer
Born and raised right here in Reno, Jennifer is a painter who paints with acrylics and oils to bring to life her native surroundings.
She first studied at Diedre Hopkins-Burke founder of Artists of America where she discovered painting brings about a peace & tranquility she had never known before. She has been painting for over 6 years and everyday learns new techniques & how to hone her craft. Lately, she has been experimenting and learning different techniques, then applying them to the canvas.
It all begins with an idea. Jennifer’s method when painting is to use acrylics to do the underpainting then overlay colors in oil through blending and glazing. Although the process can be slow, sometimes up to six months to paint some of her portraits, she will not hurry. She wants to be sure that she has the paintings perfect, to the best of her ability. It takes time to paint the eyes of a newborn baby or the wrinkles of a pug. For this, you need patience and a delicate hand. The result is a very lifelike rendition of the subject.
Jennifer revels in the joy of delivering a portrait of a beloved family member or pet. One of her favorite and saddest works was of a childhood friend, Rick Holland, and his faithful companion, his dog. Unfortunately, his dog passed away shortly after he hid. Jennifer had the privilege of knowing Rick through all twelve years of school. So it was an honor to deliver that portrait to Rhonda, his wife. She was so happy with it, she did not even frame it, she hung it up in the living room and just loves it!!
From the time Jennifer wakes and looks outside in the morning, she is blessed to have a spirit of gratefulness and is motivated to paint what God has provided. From sunrise to sunset, she finds beauty in the trees, the birds chirping, the clouds, her beloved cats, and the flowers in the garden. Inspiration comes from the colors that change on our beautiful Nevada mountains that surround our city. She has the benefit of seeing the changing seasons every day driving to and from her 8-5 job. She has even been honked at by strangers because she has stopped to take a picture of a tree or something that inspires her while at a stoplight. Her art is a reflection of her love of God and what he has provided.
Techniques
Jennifer uses acrylics to do the underpainting then overlay colors in oil through blending and glazing. It takes many textures and layers to create the fine lines in a portrait or landscape.
Shows
Jennifer’s artwork will be displayed three times this year in three different showings. See her Events Page to find out more.
Memberships
Jennifer is a member of the Latimer Art Club here in Reno. The Latimer Art Club was established in 1921 by students in the Reno area who wanted to honor Lorenzo Latimer for all he did for the art community.