About This Piece

My work is rooted in curiosity, childlike wonder and story telling. This inspired me to start to create under the name Jeki, a nickname from my childhood. I approach painting with openness, spontaneity and the freedom to discover rather than control. This piece started as a sweet creature I
created as an example for my elementary students during my visual story telling unit, the setting then evolved into a magical dreamscape that I
continued to work in my studio. As a former elementary art teacher in the Westwood neighborhood the placement of this work in the Lena Archueleta Library is deeply meaningful. A library named in honor of an educator, leader and advocate whose values align with my own, in a neighborhood where the children who I created alongside live. I hope my painting offers visitors a moment to pause, imagine and connect through their own stories. If my work can bring a sense of lightness after a difficult day, spark curiosity, or simply provide a place for the eye and mind to rest, then it fulfills its purpose.