I grew up in Caro, Michigan a small farm town in the northern part of the state with little exposure to the world of art. I owe my love of art to my older brother Bob. He brought art and visual expression into our home when I was a child. I was fascinated with his creations and was intrigued by this new insight into my brother. My parents displayed his large paintings on our walls and the experience brought so much life into our home.

For the first 18 years of my life I never thought of myself as a visual artist. However things changed when I attended Kalamazoo College as a freshman and met a fellow student by the name of Amy Campbell, who became a good friend of mine. She had beautiful brown eyes, wild curly brown hair and an eccentric way about her. She had the brilliant idea that we take a painting class together. I said, "I can't do that, I don't paint". She said it didn't matter. I thought, "of course it does", but I knew I would have fun with her so I took the course.

My art instructor Marcia Wood was amused by my total inexperience and that became my saving grace. I felt encouraged to experiment, and began to spend most of my waking hours at the art studio. When I was not at the studio I was in the Library pouring over the Art Books of Van Gogh, Gauguin, the Expressionists, German Expressionists, Asian Art, Modern Art... I was awakening to this world of art I never knew existed.

I went on to study art at the University of Michigan and spent a great deal of time at the art school, painting in the studio. After receiving a BA from the University of Michigan, I attended Johns Hopkins and received an MA in education. From there I pursued a career in teaching and had two children to raise. So my attention to art was somewhat diverted but I never stopped painting. I have continued to experiment with different mediums and have remained a primarily self-taught artist.

In describing my art today I would say that I am an expressionist. My paintings are large and colorful with bold graphic shapes. They are meant for large spaces, most of my pieces are on permanent display in business offices, clinics or private collections. Some people ask for reproductions of the original art in smaller scale prints. So I occasionally will sell prints upon request. My paintings have sold mostly by commission and in some intimate art exhibits. I am currently gearing up for some larger gallery shows and art fairs, so I will post those when I get them scheduled.

Jeanne Keckler, Artist