D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May 2012
Our Cover Artist
San Simon, Ariz., painter Jean Chandanais Bohlender was also our January 2008 cover artist. Her works can now be seen at the Seedboat Gallery in Silver City as well as Bucko's on Railroad Avenue in Willcox, Ariz.
"I started painting when I was 14 years old," Bohlender says. "Growth in skill came from working hard over the years, learning what I could from experience, favorite artists and other working artists. I like to paint what I see and use all my own resources, painting from my photographs in the studio, and occasionally out and about.
"I paint nearly every day, and love it. It is sometimes a job, but usually it is a prayer, a peaceful time and very enjoyable. I work like a butterfly, flitting from this 'flower' to the next, and then return again. If I could leave a sense of peace or shared beauty, tell a story or a sense of the wonder that I felt at whatever I paint, then I feel satisfied."
Her subjects range from wildlife to landscapes to hard-working cowboys, and she paints in watercolor as well as oils.
Seedboat Gallery is located at 214 W. Yankie St., 534-1136, and is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To see more of Bohlender's work, visit www.jeanbohlender.com.