Art From the Heart

ART FROM THE HEART

BEVERLEY NEITA-JACKSON

ART FROM THE HEART

Beverley neita-jackson

Photo by: Dwayne Watkins

ART FROM THE HEART

Kamille and Michelle

ART FROM THE HEART

Editor-in-Chief Creative Consultant Photo Director Production Coordinator Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Artistic Consultant Printer Binder

Michelle Gordon Kamille Jackson Dwayne Watkins Amanda-Mae Gordon Kamille Jackson Christian-David Gordon Amanda-Mae Gordon Amanda-Mae Gordon Christian-David Gordon Dwayne Jureidini The Herald Printers Jamaica Association for the Deaf

EDITORIAL OFFICE Kingston, Jamaica | December 2020

@bevneitjack

FOREWARD

BY HORACE NEITA

I do not recall my sister as a young person showing a particular interest in

the visual arts. She pursued her interest in Spanish in university and

continued on this path as a Spanish teacher. In time, she got married and raised a family. A life satisfying lived up to that time.

But in mid-life and a busy one at that, the call of visual arts burrowed

itself in her psyche and off she went to art school, followed by a productive career of painting.

Her work hangs in my home along with other artists. My guests and visitors are impressed by her vivid use of color, her faithful capture of everyday Jamaican life - cricket, track and field, children at study - her fine definition of rural Jamaican architecture and her honest portraits.

This book depicts a woman who has responded to the call of her soul to represent in paint her call to the visual arts.

Well done.

Horace

love by osmosis

Those days awash with arts delight Filled with stories and treats for sight From whence our eyes were at our knee Life was this…art…simply.

We were to her adorn She to whom we were born If she went hither or thither or there We were the skirt tail or clip in the hair

As she grew to whom she would be We too became fruit from that tree Not falling far from nature's heart

Thank you for this life, and love of art.

A love affair with art remains unrequited.

Cocoteros - 14 x 18 Acrylic on Canvas $350

There is no must in art because art is free.

Kandinsky 1866 – 1944

ARTIST WHEN YOUR MOTHER IS AN

By Michelle and Kamille Jackson Photographs by Dwayne Watkins

Our mother was 47 years old when she decided to do something she had always wanted to do. She already had a career as a teacher and she was the wife of an esteemed bank manager, who opted to stay home to raise her 4 daughters.

Breakfast was always homecooked and we have no recollection of joining any cafeteria lines, which means our lunches were always packed.

Saturdays were reserved for hair-washing and Tom Redcam Library, and then Daddy would join in the fun on Sundays, when Creamy Corner in Savannah Plaza was 'turnt'. Lol.

Mummy’s sewing machine was always ‘on cock’. Our dolls and all of Bev's girls wore several of her pieces. Little did we know how much love went into her stitches, whenever we rolled our eyes at our ‘nonstore-bought’ dresses.

We learned what a secateur was when we saw our mothers’ own in action each time she cut and made her Ginger Lily arrangements. And there was no fruit in our garden that was safe from the juicing process.

Depending on when you visited our home, you were guaranteed a glass of soursop, mango, orange, otaheiti apple or cherry juice. If those weren’t in season, you’d have to settle for her freshly squeezed lemonade.

She was the consummate wife and mother, checking all the boxes on life’s little ‘to do’ list. But what about the woman within? What of her dreams and passions, her hopes and goals? Did she even have those things?

Mummy went back to school in 1996.

She enrolled at The Edna Manley School for the Visual Arts in search of her passion, and completed a journey she began as a student 35 years earlier at Westwood High School for Girls in 1961.

She had loved art from then, and while she knew she was gifted, she never allowed her talent to manifest itself until she returned to the classroom years later – this time as a student, and not as the master.

Photo by: Dwayne Watkins

Photo by: Dwayne Watkins

The power to love what is purely abstract, is given to few.

Margot Asquith

As young children, we cherished our long-standing family tradition of 'driveouts' where we'd all pile into the car and go somewhere...anywhere.

We would always end up playing a cloud-naming game that saw us creating scenes in the sky.

We would identify the shapes and images that we saw and came up with the craziest stories from abstract and beautiful cloud formations.

We were mentally painting with our mother and didn't even know it!

“Life is an abstract art, and it’s up to you to make sense of it.”

"Praise" - 14 x 18 Oil on Canvas $450$400

Remembering - 15 x 19 Oil on Canvas $750

18

Art has a voice - let it speak.

18

"Let's Dance" 20 x 30 Mixed Media on Canvas $750

Do you see what I see?

"Patchwork Girl" 16 x 18 Oil on Canvas $500

All tangled up in blue.

Mummy loves blue. It's the base colour of many of her paintings.

Blue is a primary colour across all models of colour space. It is the colour of the ocean and the sky; it often symbolizes serenity, stability, inspiration, or wisdom. It can be a calming colour, and symbolize reliability.

20 x 30 Mixed Media on Canvas

"Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.”

Wassily Kandinsky

"Music Man I" 19 x 25 Acrylic on Canvas $400

ART FROM THE HEART: BEVERLEY NEITA-JACKSON

Sweet Sounds

"Music Man II" 19 x 25 Acrylic on Canvas $700

Photo: Dwayne Watkins

The art of sport.

CRICKET, LOVELY CRICKET Mummy is yet to attend her first live cricket match. But you only know that because we told you so.

Her ability to capture realistic scenes from the field comes from her love of the movement it brings, and the fluidity of stroke play that is captured through the imagination of a child listening to cricket on an old transistor radio.

Her attention to detail, paired with photographs and good imagination, has gifted us with years of beautiful cricket scenes now adorning the walls of fans of the sport here at home, and far away abroad.

I can literally hear the sounds of this painting.

I hear the ball connecting with the wicket and I swear I hear the bales flying through the air.

Cricket in motion.

“CRICKET IS AN ART. LIKE ALL ARTS IT HAS A TECHNICAL FOUNDATION. TO ENJOY IT DOES NOT REQUIRE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, BUT ANALYSIS THAT IS NOT TECHNICALLY BASED IS MERE IMPRESSIONISM.”

C.L.R. JAMES

WHEN GRANDMA SCORED A GOAL

by Christian-David Gordon

A couple years ago, Grandma went out of her way to do a painting as a gift for my friend. At the time, my friend's favourite football player was Wayne Rooney. I had mentioned this to Grandma previously, and was surprised to find out that she started the sketch the same evening.

Although Grandma had other

"Lumberyard t h i n g s Disturbance o n h e r p l a t e ," s h e t o o k t h e time to do something for me that I will never forget.

“FOOTBALL IS AN ART, LIKE DANCING IS AN ART – BUT ONLY WHEN IT'S WELL DONE DOES IT BECOME AN ART.” Arsene Wenger

I dream my painting and then I paint my dream.

Vincent Van Gogh

Stories of Westwood High School (circa 1961-1965 or thereabouts) were commonplace in our home.

In fact, we felt like we knew Mr. Pronger the Principal, and Miss Parsons, the very proper English teacher.

We also knew that this is the place where our mother discovered a love for and penchant for art.

This is where her love affair with art began.

The Way It Was Westwood High School for Girls

Old places have soul.

Photo by: Dwayne Watkins

This may be where we developed our love for old things.

Trips to the country to visit our maternal grandmother, were always something to look forward to....and Grandma ALWAYS seemed to know we were coming. She said 'her mind told her' we were coming.

"Rocky Road II" 9 x 12 Oil on Canvas. $160

"Country Cottage" 16 x 20 Oil on Canvas $500

Although most of her painting are in oil, Mummy also works in acrylic, charcoal pencil or mixed media.

"Church in the Woods" 11 x14 $250

"Hill Street" 26 x 33 Oil on Canvas $1,600

"The Blue House " 26 x 33 Oil on Canvas $1,600

Photo by: Dwayne Watkins

Some people are artists.

Some, themselves, are art."

Test Time

The little girl in this painting could easily be any little girl in Jamaica, who had to complete her studies sans electricity, with the assistance of the warmth and glow of a beloved Home Sweet Home lamp.

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the entire world.

UNKNOWN

"After School" Oil on Canvas

Mummy's paintings depicting fathers with their children were always quick to disappear. The immortalization of a relationship that is so often vilified, was now painted in the hearts and minds of those who love love.

18

Let Us Pray

We prayed when we woke up in the mornings. We prayed when we were going to bed at nights. We prayed before our meals. We prayed to give thanks and sometimes we prayed to not get into trouble.

Prayer was necessary and normal in our home.

AMEN.

"Laughing Baby" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas $400

A child's laugh could simply be one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

Can't you hear it?

"Friends" 14 x 18 Oil on Canvas $600

Banana Shelter

Mummy is from a large family of eight children. As youngsters, her brothers and sisters were her world. And today as seniors, they remain closely knit.

Connected by a bond that emanates in scores of her painting of siblings; brothers with brothers, sisters with sisters, brothers with sisters.

“Art is an expression of self.

Sometimes where we may fail in words, art speaks where words are unable to explain.

Art is a way of surviving, through which we are able to confront the things that trouble us and to find peace in its presence."

Kay-Ann Pearson

Can You Keep A Secret?

Painting people is one of the things that stands out most about Mummy's earlier years as an artist. It was always amazing just how the strokes from her brush would replicate the person in front of her.

She is so good at capturing not just the look and feel, but the very essence of her subjects.

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.

PABLO PICASSO

HAIR COMES GRANDMA

BY AMANDA-MAE GORDON

I remember when I was little and Grandma would call me to get my hair washed in the big sink in the wash room. I would run around the house trying to get out of this “horrid” activity.

Years have passed and nothing has changed.

Grandma has always shown her love for me through caring for me, which includes doing my hair. I would always put up a fight; not wanting to do it, but in the end I always came out with a smile - a few tears maybe, but still a smile.

I think I get that “trait” from Grandma. No matter how hard or painful something is, she will do it and complete it with excellence.

Grandma loves to paint, no matter how many times she complains about it or how long it's taking, the outcome is always beautiful.

"I Love My Hair" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas $450

GRANDMA, YOU HAVE LOVED ME SINCE I WAS BORN, BUT I HAVE LOVED YOU MY ENTIRE LIFE.

"I Love My Hair II" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas $450

Photo by Dwayne Watkins

Objects of Desire

No beautiful scenery is safe from Mummy.

Trips to the country include random stops to capture photos of scenes for Mummy to paint.

Inspiration would come from everyday occurrences, that to the 'untrained' eye, were mundane and ordinary. But Mummy sees things we never see.

Until her paintbrush meets canvas.

"Grazing" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas $250

Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS With a cadre of artists that runs centuries deep, Jamaica remains blessed with scores of talented men and women who contribute to our nation's undeniable artistic reservoir.

Here, a few of our treasures share their thoughts on Beverley; colleague, friend and mentor.

MAZOLA WA MWASHIGHADI FUSION ARTIST This is indeed my testimony about your Mum. Art is self expression. And generally, it is so.

The question that I would normally ask is: what is the self of the individual that is in the process of being expressed?

I was moved deeply by the glowing light in your work the first time I encountered. Continued chewing cud on this until we met and felt that glow encompassing you. Now I knew.

Thank you for sharing your light Beverley, for as you know, we really need it. Always, but especially at this juncture in our comfortable discomfort, so we can glow our way through this prevailing darkness.

Mazola

SAMERE TANSLEY PAINTER Beverley, It is so good to see you continue to express yourself through your art. The artistic life can be one that is filled with challenges and it takes strength of spirit and character to persevere. The rewards are well worth it though! Lol. Wishing you many more fulfilling days at the easel!

Samere

Bev and I fast became friends soon after meeting each other at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts....perhaps because we shared similar backgrounds, both being retired teachers, having adult children pursuing further studies and easy-going husbands willing enough to enable us the freedom to explore our creative paths.

PHYLL WILLIAMS PAINTER

Our teachers were few, however, specifically.... beloved African captured our hearts in his simple approach to teaching new techniques and unique skills in developing our art to a high degree.

Bev was prolific in Landscapes, Abstract Expressionism and was super talented in Portraiture especially of young children. Many of her clients were particularly drawn to her ‘Cricket Series’, where she excelled and built up a huge clientele.

At the beginning of each year, she and I travelled across the island where we garnered a wealth of photographic information from which we created wonderful works, now gracing walls of many clients.

Bev is extremely passionate about her work and we would bounce off each other, as we engaged in spirited conversations exchanging working tips in order to tell our stories more effectively.

She has been largely successful in selling her art and has been a contributor in numerous exhibitions locally and internationally. She is a professional extraordinaire, and I salute her on her magnificent journey and wish her even more success as she forges her way ahead.

Phyll

Photo by Dwayne Watkins

ABOUT BEVERLEY

A former teacher, Beverley Neita-Jackson, has been painting steadily, participating in both group and individual exhibitions since graduating from the Edna Manley College for the Visual Arts 21 years ago.

18

Her works encompass a wide variety of themes and styles. She sees art in everything, but the human figure is of particular interest – executed realistically or in stylized forms.

Her abstracts evolve from amorphous shapes that seem to take on a life of their own, enhanced by manipulating lines and space.

Although she works in acrylic, charcoal pencil or mixed media, most of her paintings are in oil, and are in collections both locally and overseas.

ART FROM THE HEART

Beverley neita-jackson

ART FROM THE HEART

Beverley neita-jackson

ART FROM THE HEART

BEVERLEY NEITA-JACKSON