VISUALIZE children swarming, on tip toes straining beyond the edge of the paint tent to see what I am up to. Adults not far beyond. The beginning of 'play time' on this summer day is signaled by the tuning of musical instruments by local talent; one of life's greatest and oldest delights is music. A ripple of excitement runs through the crowd in anticipation of the mysterious amusement unfolding before them. A most unlikely assortment of objects, from kitchen tools to cement trowels, begin to appear on the supply table along with an array of deli tubs containing brightly colored liquid paints. I most often am identifiable within the crowd by the conspicuous paint-stained trousers I am wearing. I begin... by slathering a color across the 4x4 ft raw canvas using, of all things, a pancake spatula to quickly wet down the entire canvas! Laughter and conversation are suddenly interrupted by the first deliberate gesture of paint to canvas... "we are no longer in Kansas". I smile a bit and simply utter a few words not usually associated with painting... "let's just go for it and see what happens!"  

It's fascinating to me how setting aside one's logical conscious mind and releasing into the unknown realm of momentary insight quickens the creative process. It seemingly propels the painting out of the unknown into that momentary reality and toward a conclusion revealed only then to the artist. The  culmination of each improvisation... the finale of a painting event... is signaled, not by a timer or buzzer, but when an intuitive feeling is detected by the artist that the image is complete.

Calla Lilies With Water, Acrylic on canvas

IMPROVISATION ~ With the fast pace of a marathon I am more able to maintain a potent daily environment for spirited and focused painting. The presence of onlookers helps me to turn off any impulse control that may get in the way of a creative experience. By maintaining a commitment to remain in present time, I simply execute that next gesture into thick wet paint and vibrant color... sometimes adding, sometimes removing, yet always moving between action and reflection without judgement or hesitation. I am learning to paint without fretting about what I am creating. I feel a bit like a maturing jazz musician. Learning to remain in the flow... perhaps attaining acute fluency with the paint... exploring the nature of connection, concentration, and commitment... in order to reach more deeply into the self.

Swan Songs, Acrylic on canvas (Painted in concert Paul deLay Band) 

One can paint with everything, so to speak, on the line... in a perfectly partnered dance with the musicians.

INNOVATION ~ When we embrace a first mistake, pushing past the impulse to withdraw... immersed in the moment... we become enveloped in the pleasure of simply creating something new. It's so courageous.

Flamenco Dancers, Acrylic on canvas

INSIGHT ~ When we are completely at ease, completely comfortable, by turning off the voice in the head that says no and allow ourselves to let go, we create fertile ground for a little more creativity and spontaneous insight. 

Calla Lilies II, Acrylic on canvas

REWARDS FROM ME TO YOU ~ Custom hand-crafted bags... in the signature styles of my Jaxon Bags. Wear your art on your sleeve! ~ Wine bottle totes and table top vessels... use for gifts of distinction or focal points in your own interior décor ~ Select an entire painting! ~ And on a Saturday afternoon, August 18, 2012, up to six adventurous souls are invited to PAINT WITH THE ARTIST to LIVE MUSIC at a catered RECEPTION in the Heart Of Oregon Wine Country (there will be filming of this event and a video to follow). 

Jaxon Bags Wine Bottle Totes & Shorties, Acrylic on canvas and leather

JAXON BAGS was born in June of 2011 in the Willamette Valley -- in the heart of Oregon’s Wine Country. These unique hand-crafted bags of superb quality are one-of-a-kind… and they came to life in a small artisan studio that is an upstairs loft in the quaint Downtown Historic District of McMinnville. 

At Jacquelyn's Studio Arts, thick acrylic paintings, reminiscent of fine, pliant leather, are transformed into a fashionable array of trendy and practical Laptop and E-book Flat Bags, Man Bags, Lush Shopping Totes, Wine Bottle Totes, and Tabletop Wine, Breadstick and Floral Presentation Shorties.

The inspiration for crafting each vessel arises directly from the image on the canvas. Jacque’s penchant for hand-crafting expresses itself throughout. 

WINE BOTTLE TOTES and WINE BOTTLE PRESENTATION SHORTIES feature uniquely knotted leather lacing, and/or a fine selection of plated pewter beads in silver, brass, or gun metal. 'Totes' sport a customized leather carrying strap. Either style of vessel may serve in other decorative capacities by inserting a cylindrical glass vase into the bag to contain breadsticks, or fresh or dried flowers. Jaxon Totes make lovely hostess gifts. 

Jaxon Bags Flatbags, Acrylic on canvas

A JAXON FLATBAG is styled for maximum appreciation of the acrylic painting that forms its main body. The image is cropped from a painted canvas, and crafted into a carrying bag styled to hug the human body. Flatbags are customized with a single off-set leather shoulder strap fashioned from a repurposed natural leather belt. These belts are hand-picked by the artist for their pristine condition, high quality and compelling design from finer resale shops. The signature ornamentation of uniquely knotted leather lacing, and/or a fine selection of plated pewter beads in silver, brass, or gun metal, serves to reinforce the bag's structure. The lining is crafted from any of several natural fiber fabrics, neutral in color and with deep pockets that accommodate iPhones and such. Jaxon Flatbags are crafted in various sizes for Laptops, e-workbooks, e-Book Readers, and/or a few personal items. Our washable acrylics painted onto heavy canvas can be ever-so- gently cleaned with a soft cloth and mild soap.

ARTIST ORIGINAL GREETING CARDS are a great way to share small yummy images cropped from the larger canvases. They are perfect for re-gifting or for framing. Mounted on name brand artist quality greeting card stock with matching envelopes. Almost all of these cards find there way into frames and onto walls. Most who buy them find it difficult to actually relinquish them to the person for whom they were purchased. 

Jaxon Bags Artist Original Greeting Cards

An ALDERWOOD HANG TAG with the Jaxon logo adorns each and every custom bag. The logo features a grape cluster celebrating Oregon's Willamette Valley vineyard countryside -- the fertile environment in which the ideas for Jaxon Bags germinated. The Reward JAXON BAGS COASTER will feature this logo image cut by laser into a 4.25" round of durable recycled cork, with wood backing and bumpers.

JAXON BAGS… for the...  inʹdǝ  vijʹōō ǝl ist  n., 1 one who doesn’t waiver, holdback, equivocate, cave in to peer pressure, conceal their vanity, or say what they think the person across the table wants to hear.

What is your Jaxon Bag going to be for you?

Appealing to the senses… edgy… funny… unconventional… taking a risk… cutting-the-edge… out-of-the-box/into-the-fire… stimulating… appealing… memorable… unforgettable… will it trigger such response in the nanosecond lapse in time before thinking is translated into words…? Falling in love… for the first time… for the ninetieth? 

If you want to frame your Jaxon Bag under soft gallery light and lock it to the wall like the fine painting that it is… that’s your prerogative!

I treat mine like I do my best friend... bring it along for the ride of our lives… confide in it… break it’s heart… punch it out when our favorite team loses the finals… keep it around forever with my old leather jacket no matter the tears, broken parts, or sagging midlines. Take your Jaxon Bag out for the day... for a week… for a lifetime.  If you don’t take the risk of breaking a few dinner plates… you’ll never know what it’s like to eat from fine china.

White Iris, Acrylic on canvas