Jodie Kain, a Contemporary Realist, paints emotionally charged figures utilizing skills from her classical and expressionistic training. Jodie works exclusively in the tactile medium of pastels. The accumulated experiences of her environment are the major influences on her work. The environmental characteristics and, most importantly, personalities of New York, London and Boston are captured in her paintings. Jodie's work is grounded firmly in figurative depictions, built with light and mass and mixed with a bit of humor and whimsy.
Jodie’s first studio experience was in Robert Beverly Hale’s anatomy class at the Art Students League of New York whose teaching descended in direct line from Jean-Léon Gérôme. This training set the base of her artistic approach: an emphasis on strict anatomical modeling, melding form built with the underlying structure as well as light. Building on this academic tradition, Jodie studied under photorealist Rob Neffson at Penn State University, earning a BFA. Later the opportunity to live in London and attend The Heatherley School of Fine Art arose, supplemented by figure study classes at several artist’s studios. After a career in high-end graphics systems and software, the Bargue & Cast curriculum at the Academy of Realist Art in Boston refreshed Jodie’s passion for realist painting. Jodie paints full time in one of two bedrooms in her South End, Boston, apartment.
Jodie has exhibited across the country, her work has been published in Spain and is included in the Lunar Codex; a museum on the moon. Her award-winning work has been shown at The Guild of Boston Artists, the Arnot Art Museum, Steamboat Art Museum, the Haggin Museum, the Butler Institute of American Art, the Hilbert Museum, as well as the 14th, 15th and 16th International ARC Salons. Jodie is an elected Out-of-State Artist member of the California Art Club, Signature Member of American Women Artists and The American Artists Professional League, where she also serves on the Board of Directors.
Publications
Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, “Masters of Light and Shadow”, p. 52, July/August 2024
American Art Collector magazine, March 2024 (download the article)
American Art Collector magazine, July 2023
Masterpieces, The Guide Artists, Hardcover, pp. 117-120, Spain, 2022
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine online, November 21, 2022
Lunar Codex: Polaris Mission
"In conjunction with Era Contemporary’s exhibition “Legends of the Moon” a digital version of the painting “XIII” will be included in the Lunar Codex: Polaris Mission.
The Polaris Mission will also contain the semi-finalist and finalist works of the 17th ARC Salon, including “Early Winter” and “In My Dreams I’ve Already Been There”. The Polaris Collection is associated with an Astrobotic Griffin/NASA VIPER mission, carrying a time capsule that will land in the vicinity of the Lunar South Pole. This will be the first significant placement of contemporary arts on the Moon in 50 years."
https://www.lunarcodex.com/art-catalogs
Escape into Life online magazine - Artist Watch Feature, November 2021 www.escapeintolife.com
Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, November/December 2021, included in the Lunar Codex https://www.lunarcodex.com/art-magazines
"In 2022, Fine Art Connoisseur commissioned a profile of Dr. Samuel Peralta and his wife's collection of realist art, in its regular section Celebrating America's Great Collectors. Dr. Peralta presented the magazine with the possibility of inclusion in the Lunar Codex project, and the magazine's publisher, Eric Rhoads, graciously permitted archiving of its print issues from 2015 to 2022 in the Polaris Collection."
International Realism, 14th International ARC Salon, Art Renewal Center Annual Book, Hardcover, p.92, USA, 2020
Exhibits & Awards
2024
17th International ARC Salon - Semi-Finalists: “Early Winter” and “In My Dreams I’ve Already Been There”. Included in the Lunar Codex.
American Artists Professional League, 96th Grand National Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 28 October - 15 November 2024, “Justice in the Grove"
The Almenara Art Prize 2024 Online Exhibition - "Life Is A Verb", figurative page 2 , "Early Winter" & "In My Dreams I've Already Been There", figurative page 4
Richeson75 Figure/Portrait International Art Competition 2024 “In My Dreams I’ve Already Been There”, Finalist
California Art Club, 113th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, 167 N. Atchison St, Orange, CA, 17 August - 26 October, 2024, “Early Winter”
The Horseshoe Crab—Against All Odds, Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North Street, Plymouth, MA. 12 June - 7 July, 2024, “Blue Blood”
American Artists Professional League, Spring Members Online Show, 24 May - 1 August, 2024, “All My Treasure”
Realism on the Hudson, Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY, 2 March - 14 April, 2024, “Study of a Woman Laughing” and “Nodus Tollens”
2023
PleinAir Salon, December 2023, Top 100 Finalist, “Early Winter”
American Artists Professional League, 95th Grand National Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 6-24 November 2023, “Early Winter”, Art Spirit Foundation Award
Richeson75 Figure/Portrait International Art Competition & Exhibit 2023 Finalist “The Crystal Gazer” and Meritorious Entry “In My Dreams I've Already Been There”, Online Exhibit opens 13 October 2023
Fountain Street Fine Art Annex Exhibition, Three-person show, SoWa, Boston, MA, 5 - 29 October 2023
Arnot Art Museum’s 77th Regional Exhibition, “XIII” and "God Is My Judge", Elmira, NY, 11 July - 15 September 2023
The Almenara Art Prize 2023 Online Exhibition, “Justice in the Grove” (Figurative page 4) and “The Crystal Gazer” (Figurative page 46)
"In My Dreams I've Already Been There" - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, June & September 2023 FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
American Artists Professional League’s Spring Members Show, April 26 - June 26 2023, “Learning to Sail”
North River Arts Society Focus on Figures Exhibit, "God Is My Judge" & "Nearly There", 157 Old Main Street, Marshfield Hills, MA, 15 April - 6 May 2023, 2nd Place Award
Richeson75 Small Works Exhibit 2023 Finalist, "Early Winter", Richeson Art Gallery, 557 Marcella Street, Kimberly Wisconsin, 17 March - 19 May 2023
16th International ARC Salon - Semi-Finalist: “The Crystal Gazer”
Art Fluent SHE, "Justice in the Grove" , February 2023
2022
Camelback Gallery Realism 2022, “…and the boat made three” Silver Award, “Granite & Silk” Bronze Award
Era Contemporary Gallery Legends of the Moon, Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA, December 2 2022 - January 15 2023, “XIII”. In addition to the exhibition a digital version of the painting will be included in the Lunar Codex: Polaris Mission. “The Polaris Collection” is associated with an Astrobotic Griffin/NASA VIPER mission, carrying a time capsule that will land in the vicinity of the Lunar South Pole. This will be the first significant placement of contemporary arts on the Moon in 50 years. https://www.lunarcodex.com/art-catalogs
American Artists Professional League, 94th Grand National Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 7-18 November 2022, “The Crystal Gazer”, Honorary Award for Pastel
“Early Winter” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, June 2022 FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
SITE: Brooklyn Gallery, The Figure, May 31 - June 28 2022, “Nearly There” and “The Crystal Gazer”
American Women Artists 2022 Spring On-line Juried Show. "Cherbourg, 1955"
Adirondack Pastel Society 8th Annual National Pastel Exhibition, View, NY – 28, Old Forge, New York, June 11 - July 31 2022, “Grey Route Messaging” and “Too Many Sorrows”
National Art League’s 91st Annual Juried Open Exhibition, May 2 - June 4 2022, “All My Treasure”
American Artists Professional League’s Spring Members Show, April 25 - June 6 2022, “Featherweight Champ”
ArtWorks Gallery, Celebrating The Figure, 69 Main St., Ware, MA, April 9 - 30 2022, “Light Embrace” and “On Deck (The Veteran Fencer)”
61st Stockton Art League Juried Exhibition at the Haggin Museum, Stockton CA, April 7 - May 15 2022, “XIII” and “God Is My Judge”
Art Preservation Institute 2022 Curator's Juried Art Competition, April 1 - May 31 2022, “Clammer” and “Sense of Place”. “Clammer” was awarded an Honorable Mention.
“All My Treasure” - BoldBrush Online Painting Competition, February 2022, FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
Hearts Need Art “I No Longer Fear Death, I Fear Not Living”, February 4 – March 4, 2022, “The Crystal Gazer”, 1st Place Award Painting/Drawing
Las Laguna Art Gallery, Human Faces & Figures, “God Is My Judge”, 6-29 January 2022
2021
American Artists Professional League, 93rd Grand National Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 8-19 November 2021, “Nearly There”, Blick Art Materials Award for Pastel
Arlington Center for the Arts — REAL!, 20 Academy Street, Arlington, MA, October 21, 2021 - January 14, 2022, “All My Treasure”
ARTinME, Boothbay Regional Arts Association, Boothbay Harbor, ME, October 16 — November 14 2021, “…and the boat made three”
The Guild of Boston Artists 2021 New England Regional Juried Exhibition, August 28 – September 25, 2021, “The Crystal Gazer”
“The Model” - The AAPL 2021 Studio Auction, 8-18 July 2021
“The Crystal Gazer” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, April 2021 FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
American Artists Professional League 2021 On-line Members Show ‘Explore’, “XIII”, 1 April - 30 August
Richeson75 Still Life/Floral International Art Competition & Exhibit 2021, Meritorious Entry “Grey Route Messaging”
“Nearly There”, Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA - “Double Vision” 5-28 March 2021
2020
“Breathing Dreams Like Air”, Richeson75 Animals, Birds & Wildlife Art Competition 2020 Meritorious entry
15th International ARC Salon (arcsalon.org) - Semi-Finalists: “Breathing Dreams Like Air”, “XIII”, “Nearly There” & “Three Scotches In”
American Artists Professional League, 92nd Grand National Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 9 November - 31 December 2020, “On Deck (The Veteran Fencer) ”, Pastel Society of America Award
“Grey Route Messaging” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, August 2020, FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
Richeson75 Figure/Portrait International Art Competition & Exhibit 2020 Finalist “On Deck (The Veteran Fencer)” and Meritorious Entry “XIII”
“Study of a Woman Laughing” - Gateway International Painting Competition, Finalist, July 2020
Pastel Society of America 48th Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance! along with The Butler Institute of American Art, on-line 8 September - 3 October 2020, “Light Embrace”
American Artists Professional League 2020 On-line Members Show ‘Favorite Things’, “Brad”, 1st Place Pastel Award
“Breathing Dreams Like Air” - Gateway International Painting Competition, Best in Show, February 2020
2019
“XIII” - BoldBrush Online Painting Competition, December 2019, Outstanding Pastel and FAV 15 (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
“XIII” - Gateway International Painting Competition, Honorable Mention, December 2019
“Triad”, Richeson75 Animals, Birds & Wildlife Art Competition 2019 Meritorious entry
American Artists Professional League, 91st Grand National Exhibit, Salmagundi Club, NYC, 2019, “God Is My Judge”, Pastel Society of America Award
“Sense of Place”, Richeson75 Figure/Portrait International Art Competition 2019 Meritorious entry
Richeson75 Figure/Portrait International Art Competition & Exhibit 2019 Finalists, “Nearly There” and “All My Treasure”, Exhibit at the Richeson Art Gallery
Fay Chandler Emerging Art Exhibition City of Boston 2019, Boston City Hall, Scollay Square Gallery, “Light Embrace”
2019 Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, View Arts, Old Forge, NY, “Granite & Silk”
“God Is My Judge” - Finalist, 14th International ARC Salon (arcsalon.org)
American Women Artists’ 2019 Spring On-line Juried Show, 1 April 2019 - 1 April 2020, ”God Is My Judge"
Steamboat Art Museum exhibition in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, sponsored by American Women Artists exhibition, May 24 – September 14, 2019, “The Model”
Arnot Art Museum’s 76th Regional Exhibition, Elmira, NY, March 16 - 14 June 2019, “Brad”
2018
ARTinME, Boothbay Regional Arts Association, Boothbay Harbor, ME, October 13 — November 13 2018, “Boothbay Afternoon” and “Clammer”
The Guild of Boston Artists 2018 Regional Juried Exhibition, September 8 – 29, 2018, “God Is My Judge”
2018 Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, View Arts, Old Forge, NY, 23 June – 30 July 2018, “Brad”, Second Place Award, & “Light Embrace”, Rooney ETC Award
“God Is My Judge” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, Outstanding Pastel Award May 2018 and FAV 15% (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
American Women Artists 2018 Spring On-line Juried Show. "Light Embrace"
“Portrait of a Generation” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, January 2018 FAV 15% (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
2017
“Light Embrace” - Colors of Humanity Juried Exhibit November 2017 ‘Animals’ show. Second Place Award
“Light Embrace” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, October 2017 FAV 15% (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
“Light Embrace” - Gateway International Painting Competition Finalist, October 2017
The Guild of Boston Artists 2017 Regional Juried Exhibition, September 9 – 30, 2017, ‘Award of Merit’ for “Brad” (aka “Two Scotches In”)
“Brad” - Gateway International Painting Competition Finalist, September 2017
“Miss Peanut” - Colors of Humanity Juried Exhibit May 2017 ‘Yellow’ show. Honored as a ‘Noteworthy' work
“Granite & Silk” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, May 2017 FAV 15% (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
“The Model” - Sedona Arts Center, April 2017 on-line show, Artist’s Choice award
“Brad” - BoldBrush On-line Painting Competition, Outstanding Pastel Award February 2017 and FAV 15% (jury's favorite 15% of entries)
Education
Art Students League of New York
Penn State University, BFA
The Heatherly School of Fine Art, London, UK
Academy of Realist Art, Boston
Associations et al
Represented by 33 Contemporary
2023 Fountain Street Fine Art Annex Fellowship, Boston, MA
American Artists Professional League, Signature Member
American Women Artists, Signature Member
California Art Club, Out-of-State Artist Member
Juror of Selection, 2019 Northeast National Pastel Exhibition
2021-current American Artists Professional League Board of Directors, Vice President
Certified City of Boston Artist