Artist: Jenny Hawkinson

Posted by admin on Apr 14, 2010 in Featured Articles | 0 comments

Fourth-year Art major, Jenny Hawkinson, might be found in the art studio on a weekend painting frenzy, or spending her night outside as a demonstration for homeless awareness. While her red hair may make her stand out in a crowd, it is her warm smile and compassionate heart that make an impression on her peers at Trinity.

Her love of art can be traced back to her childhood, when she often illustrated self-written stories. Throughout high school she continued to build her skill at rendering images realistically, but was shocked when she entered the art program at TWU. “The first time I didn’t feel like an artist was my first month at Trinity,” she says. “I couldn’t even draw a blind contour! Apparently in all my years of drawing and painting I had never learned to really see.”

How long ago those days seem to be. Nowadays, Hawkinson’s work revolves around her passion for the Vancouver Downtown Eastside, which was realized during a class trip to the DTE in her second year. An awakening to the “appalling paradoxes” between sections of Vancouver inspired a surge of work.

Hawkinson’s attachment and commitment to her cause is refreshingly honest. The more regular amount of time she spent in the area—often weekly visits—began to shape her work. “I made the transition from stencil posters of rats and protesting against ‘The Man’ to visually recording stories and encounters that I had with the people.”

While Jenny finds painting the most enjoyable way to work, she prefers to not stick to one style. “I am more conceptual than process driven,” she says. “I love the personal interaction in public artwork, and I also love the privacy of painting.”

From here, Hawkinson’s path seems endless. Although she says that, ideally, spending a period of time in the Bronx, while creating another body of artwork specific to the area interests her, may be a goal further down the road. Practically, paying off student loans may lead her to Korea to teach English. “Apparently the art scene in Korea thrives,” she says. “That excites me. Whatever happens though, I want to continue creating.”