Wilmette-based artist Jennifer Rapp Peterson employs a wide range of mark making—exploring line, gesture and opacity. Using multiple layers, she builds depth and atmosphere in her nonobjective paintings.
Previously a tech and creative entrepreneur, Peterson has worked as a cartoonist, award-winning toy inventor, publisher, and designer. Her work has been sold worldwide. Peterson started drawing and painting again, after a long respite, during the shutdown in 2020.
“Nothing thrills me more than the potential of a blank canvas. Each time I paint, I reach for magic and mystery—the extraordinary. I try to lose myself in the making of my art. I work intuitively—I feel a painting's call and I respond. Every mark informs the next. Some days, my art practice flows effortlessly and it’s exhilarating. Other times, it’s difficult and humbling. I find painting imitates life: beauty appears from a multitude of imperfect layers and moments. We see it best in retrospect.”