Jen Renzel
Jen Renzel
My greatest joy is letting my imagination run wild on paper. Things from my dreams, images from science fiction books, old toys, and monster movies I loved as a kid comprise my working cast of characters. I “lose time” while drawing and painting, and my hope is that viewers lose a little time trying to figure out my work and come up with their own interpretation. I am a self-taught, mixed-media artist living in Silicon Valley. I recently became a full time artist after retiring from high tech. Now my day job never stresses me out and always makes me happy. I love mixed media — I’m the queen of too many art supplies and too many ideas.
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“I love mixed media — I’m the queen of too many art supplies and too many ideas.”

About Me

My greatest joy is letting my imagination run wild on paper. Things from my dreams, images from science fiction books, old toys, and monster movies I loved as a kid comprise my working cast of characters. I “lose time” while drawing and painting, and my hope is that viewers lose a little time trying to figure out my work and come up with their own interpretation. I am a self-taught, mixed-media artist living in Silicon Valley. I recently became a full time artist after retiring from high tech. Now my day job never stresses me out and always makes me happy. I love mixed media — I’m the queen of too many art supplies and too many ideas.

Examples of My Work

Nothing to display

Fun Facts

I get some of my best assemblage and collage bits at an annual event called Santa Clara Spring Cleanup. Once a year, residents are allowed to put anything out on their curbs for disposal. Artists and resellers descend upon the neighborhoods and cherry pick. It's like Christmas for us!
My favorite childhood toy was a Mattel Kozmic Kiddle called "Bluey Blooper"
My favorite dessert is pie -- pumpkin, apple, cherry, or berry. Pies without a top crust, such as lemon meringue, don't count as true pie in my book.
Every Halloween I plant a pumpkin patch that takes up our whole driveway.
My favorite movies? War of the Worlds (1953), Lair of the White Worm, Aliens, Event Horizon, The Last Man on Earth (1964), Hereditary, Jaws

More About Me

What do you wish you could tell your younger artist self?

I would tell myself to keep a notebook and practice drawing every day, or at least every week. I would say use whatever media keeps you engaged. Draw what you see after applying your own perspective and style. Draw from your imagination as well, and write whenever you feel like saying something. Date each notebook and save them all. What a fantastic record of growth this would be! I wish I had done this -- maybe I should start now ...

What inspires you?

When I get burnt out or uninspired, it's time for me to open up my perspective by studying some work that I love. I have a cloud storage folder where I collect and keep hundreds of photos of the work of wonderful artists that inspire me. I strive for a more free and loose style of line, so I gravitate towards work like that. Some of my favorite artists are Kinki Texas, Leonora Carrington, Lewis Rossignol, Ian Pollock, and Basquiat. If I can see any of their work at a gallery, I'm even more psyched. Another big thrill is discovering a new artist to follow.

If your life had a theme song, which song would it be?

Bela Lugosi’s Dead by Bauhaus. (I’m still a goth at heart …)