Through the course of an ordinary day, an ordinary life, we move about busily tending to our human needs, bustling back and forth from place to place, tending to the tasks at hand so when we reach our destinations we can race off again to the next leg of the marathon.
Where to go? What to do? Who to see? Many navigate this world without ever even looking up from the technology in their hand, streaming sounds from some outside world through plugs in their ears. Do they see what they pass? Do they notice the things they step over? Look up? I do.
The big world has often felt too big for me, and the world of the Internet - inconceivable. Minutia suits me best. In seeing, studying, interacting with the tiny, the overlooked, the unappreciated beauty that exists everywhereI look, I can feel anchored to the world.
Notice the graceful curves in that railing. See how the shadows settle into the geometric shapes of that cornice. Follow the patterns on the manhole cover. These are my anchors. The ordinary is always extraordinary in my eyes.
My interpretations in paint serve as my way of giving back beauty to these beautiful places and things so deserving of attention. They are my “thank you” notes for still existing in an age of self pre-occupation. I hope that they may give some others a reason to pause on their journeys and take all the wonderful ordinariness in.
Artist Biography
Jean Broden has been creating art all of her life, and oil painting for almost 20 years.She has taken part in a number of group exhibits in the area, and shows her work at a variety of art festivals and on her website: www.jeanbrodenart.com. Broden received a BFA from Moore College of Art & Design in Illustration, and a MA in Art Education from Arcadia University. She has also studied at Studio Incamminati and John Cabot University in Rome. While pursuing her passion for painting, she has also been teaching high school art classes for the last fifteen years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Broden’s works are all created in oil on canvas, as she feels this medium gives her paintings vibrancy and flexibility during the painting process. The color palette is wide-ranging, sometimes pushed and exaggerated to enhance the structures, shapes and lighting effects, sometimes subdued and muted to create mood. The finished work is then framed in re-purposed wood frames created by her husband, Tim Broden. The pair carefully curates each piece, selecting boards that reflect something of the soul of the image before creating the frames.
Education
2015 John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
2008 - 2014 Studio Incamminati, Philadelphia, PA Traditional figure & still-life painting under Natalie Italiano
1998 - 2000 Arcadia University, Glenside, PA Master of Arts in Education, Fine Arts Certification in Fine Arts
1979 - 1983 Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bibliography
2019 Feature article, Northeast Times, July 4
Collections
Public
Saint Hubert Catholic High School Saint Cecilia Roman Catholic Church
Private
Michael Petrocik & Alicia Gasparovic Charlie & Nancy Salmons Joseph Petrocik & Myron Clement Troy Everwine Lora Durr Claire DiLullo Mike Worstall
Private Commissioned Work
James Pepper, Esq. Amy Haviland Elfant Kathy & Joseph DiDinato Carolyn Bernacki, MD Mike & Laura Schlagnhaufer
Affiliation
Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Member
InLiquid, Philadelphia, PA Member
Pocono Mountains Arts Council, Tobyhanna, PA Member
National Art Education Association, Member
Portrait Society of America Member
Professional Experience
2019 Tacony LAB, Philadelphia, PA Teacher, painting workshop
2011 - 2019 Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls, Torresdale, PA Art Teacher, Fine Art Department Chairperson
2005 - 2011 Lansdale Catholic High School, Lansdale, PA Art Teacher, Fine Art Department Chairperson
2002 - 2004 Gwynedd Mercy University, Gwynedd Valley, PA Adjunct Faculty of Art History
1987 - Present Freelance Illustration, fine art & design commissions
1984 - 1987 Martin Weber Company, Philadelphia, PA Designer and Art Director
