Danish artist Jette Reinert’s works contain the most interesting compositions rendered with beautifully intricate designs and techniques. Her paintings contain worlds of their own that are full of life and fun. Jette’s creative process is fresh and organic starting with splat of coffee or paint that dribbles and make shapes on the canvas, in which her subjects are born from.
Step into the world of Jette Reinert and uncover her youthful world that is full of life…
How did your artistic career start?
I was at my first art fair, people came and looked at my art – they stood for a long time and then they started smiling, big smiles – and they bought! But the fact that they were smiling that I was giving them a feeling, it was big then I knew I had hit something right! Imagine being able to pass on smiles with something you’ve created!
Do you always want to be a painter or do you want to try other mediums?
Yes, I’m pretty sure I always want to paint, but not saying that I won’t do anything else! I made a few sculptures in white clay, it was fun! I’ve had a graphics press, but I think that’s too time consuming… hard to be impulsive. But it’s healthy to make some experiments.
How do you find inspiration?
The inspiration is from everyday life, from our travels, everything I see combined with my imagination. All in all, life…
What does your creative process look like?
A coffee splash or a splash of paint on paper – then I get started on the process – I look at the splash, turn it again and again – then the story will start. The coffee or paint that runs into soft, organic shapes. Inside these shapes, birds, animals, people or parts of them emerge. They’re never ”perfect”! Animals, humans – they’re not perfect! A horse may have only three legs, but it does not matter. One thing is a given – no animals or people are perfect. Our world and the people in it aren’t perfect either, and this is something I show in my works. I strive to make it beautiful to be everyday imperfect.
How did you create your unique style?
My style came about by chance on a holiday. I first saw figures in the coffee foam, which I tried to reproduce with spray. It was okay on small pictures. The process was not optimal. On a holiday, I sat down with a sketch pad and a cup of coffee then I just started pouring coffee on the sides and then it was there, I could see a lot more – my unique style was “born”.
How has your practice progressed from the first artwork you’ve ever made?
My first work on canvas was a portrait of my boyfriend, painted with oil paint. At that time, I painted from photos – I also did that later, but it’s not me. So today I make my own sketches, my own stories. When I work, I let the sketch/painting grow naturally. Today I am using acrylic and a lot of gold leaf.
What made you progress from graphic designing to painting and drawing?
I’ve been drawing almost all my life; my mom was also an artist, so I also painted as a youngster. Then I became a graphic designer and the computer work was much more exciting, the computer took a few years! Suddenly I just had to draw again, I had to be creative with my hands – feel the craft – after that I couldn’t let go of the painting, it’s part of me and my family.
How did it feel to get your artwork displayed in Time Square, New York?
I was part of a community on an internet site (SeeME), where there was a competition where you could get on the biggest display in Time Square; you had a lot of points to appear alone, but it succeeded and I was totally crazy. I tried to find all the webcams there so I could keep up. My artwork was not shown the night they promised it, and I thought I was forgotten and was very sad. Then I got mail that there was a technical error and you would be shown the the night after… looked at webcams again and then it came – and it was so WILD, great feeling.
What do we have to look forward from you in 2020?
Yes, a new year! I might want to experiment with cyanotopia, using old sketches in that work. Have an idea to find new things in my coffee! What I am thinking I will not reveal now, but I hope to be able to show some exciting works later in the year. Funny when I am sitting and answering this question, the idea suddenly works in my mind – so I am going to make a sketch NOW.
