Jaylene Armstrong has lived in California since 1998. She first lived in Marin County for three years and moved to Santa Clarita in 2003. Before that she lived in Chicago, IL. Prior to that Jaylene spent 40 years of her life in Madison, Wisconsin where she was an art teacher for 26 years. Jaylene is a retired Art Educator who taught art to Elementary, Middle School and College students. She has B A and M A degree in Art.
Jaylene came to California to be near her son who is a Computer Graphics/Animation Teacher. She has served as a California State University "Art Supervisor" visiting student art teachers and evaluating their teaching skills for earning their teacher certification.
Jaylene became interested in semi-precious stones in the early 1980's and began to design "ONE-OF-A- KIND" pieces of jewelry using semi-precious stones. She designs necklaces, bracelets and earrings using beads from different countries around the world. As a designer she finds it is a challenge to arrange the beads in an exciting rhythm by carefully and playfully using different kinds of beads to present a unique piece. Using beads can be compared to painters using paint and brushes to create a painting and making their compositions into a unique statement.
Today, Beads are used to create visually powerful communication to define a particular group or artist's concept of beauty. The selection of individual beads and combinations and assemblages are symbolic in different ethnic societies as well as the contemporary artist's statement.
Jaylene participates in many Art Festivals in Southern California. Contact her for her upcoming shows.
Jaylene participates in many Art Festivals in Southern California. Contact her for her upcoming shows.
Jaylene participates in many Art Festivals in Southern California. Contact her for her upcoming shows.
Jaylene came to California to be near her son who is a Computer Graphics/Animation Teacher. She has served as a California State University "Art Supervisor" visiting student art teachers and evaluating their teaching skills for earning their teacher certification.
Jaylene gives a slide lecture on the "History of Beads" explaining how beads date back 30,000 B.C. Beads have been used in every part of the world where people have lived and used beads for adornment. The History of Beads and their role in human culture is not understood by the majority of people. People think of beads as a form of adornment or as jewelry. However, through the centuries beads have expressed social circumstances, political history, and religious beliefs.
Jaylene began working with chalk pastels after she moved to California. She took an art class on different painting techniques while living in Marin, and the instructor showed pictures by American pastel painter Wolf Kahn. He paints abstract landscapes with wild FAUVE colors of pink, orange, purple and red. She bought his book of pastels and began to create her own paintings with all the colors she loved. Her pastels are usually of trees and landscapes in either diptych or triptych compositions.
David Hockney's "Collage Photography" caught Jaylene's eye and she entered her first photo collage "Catch Me If You Can" in the 2007 Art Classic and won an award. The photos are of spiral stair steps she had photographed in a building in Chicago, and the lobster traps are from a trip she made to Martha's vineyards. She began placing these different photo shapes together and then adding other linear shapes.
"I never knew how this would turn out when I started - but I knew when to stop".
"I never knew how this would turn out when I started - but I knew when to stop".