/Jeanette Staley
Jeanette Staley
Lamentations, 98%
collage pages, acrylic, compressed charcoal, black and white, colored pencil
48″ x 36″ x 2″
2025
The most recent paintings in the series Predators and Pray explore specific Old Testament Books from the Bible and Science. The Book of Lamentations acknowledges the reality of pain and the expressions of grief, including guilt and forgiveness. Pages from the ancient book are juxtaposed with anthropology text. We share more than 98% of our DNA with the mountain gorilla, some of it the most genetically significant. Mountain gorillas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are endangered due to the impact of humans; war and conflict, hunting and poaching, and habitat loss.
Jeanette Staley
98.8%, Origins
collage, acrylic, ink, charcoal, and chalk
36″ x 36″
2025
98.8%, Origins, is the latest direction of the series of work, Predators and Pray. In these paintings I am curious about the DNA similarities between humans and the world we share. The Bonobo shares 98.8% DNA with Homo sapiens, us, and is currently endangered due to poaching, habitat loss, and civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is once again enflamed. The collaged background is an exploration of belief and science. Pages from the Old Testament, Book of Genesis are juxtaposed with college Anthropology text pages that discuss gender and equality.
Jeanette Staley
Pig-tailed Baboon, Endangered
Inspired by: Constance Bigelow, 1945 Debutante (Miss Meriwether Lewis Cowgill) Shelley Reed, Predator/Prey (after Oudry) Kenro Izu, Blue #1010B
collaged bible pages, acrylic, chalk and charcoal
36″ x 30″
2024
In the 19th c. the Pig-Tailed Baboon or Macaque began its decline in population due the loss of its habitats in Sundaland, southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Its equatorial tropical rainforests began to be replaced by single crop farming due to the discovery of palm oil which only grows in this narrow climate. This image of the Pig-Tailed Baboon was originally an illustration by the 19th c. artist George Shaw and the background is taken from an illustration of a 19th c. palm oil plantation, artist unknown.
Jeanette Staley
American Flamingo
Inspired by: Laura McPhee, The Blue Lagoon Evelyn Rydz, Gulf Pile John Willis, Recycled Realities 1
collage, acrylic paint, pencil
44.5″ x 24.5″
2022
American Flamingo employs religious text, folk tales, bits of wallpaper and other detritus to reference the long history of environmental destruction caused by a capitalist, materialistic and patriarchal culture. The words of Dante, “each one of us relies on your good will” create another layer, as a plea from the flamingo, symbolizing our environment. The painted translucent image, referencing Audubon, seemingly disappears due to environmental destruction. Audubon is under new scrutiny as we struggle with his legacy as an anti abolitionist in addition to the complicated histories of other titans and myth makers of the 19th century, exploring the similarities with the tumultuous shifts of these first decades of the 21st. Blue Lagoon- draws on the tensions between environmental resources and societal needs Gulf Pile- the effects of capitalism, materialism and patriarchal culture on the environment Recycled Realities #1- the environmental effect caused by the detritus of society
Jeanette Staley
Love
collage, acrylic, watercolor, ink on board
30″ x 36″
2023
This painting developed as a way to practice laying down paint with a knife. I made exaggerated color shapes with borders, and then went about filling them in, keeping realism firmly at bay. So, fun for me, and hopefully engaging for the viewer. The polo player chasing the motorcyclist was really a fun oddball thing. Plus, this was a paint-over, so I had some things to cover, which affected the composition. As always, I’d recommend against beginning without an armature, but if you like challenges, then go ahead!
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American Red Fox
collage, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil
30″ x 42″
2022
Bee
collage, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil
24″ x 20″
2023
Jaguar, Female
collage, acrylic, charcoal
24″ x 24″
2023
Malbrouck Holds the World
collage, acrylic, charcoal, chalk
30″ x 42″
2023
Octopus Escapes the Patriarchy
collage, acrylic, ink, chalk
38″ x 38″
2022
Ode to Domesticity
collage, acrylic, charcoal, chalk
30″ x 42″
2023
Passenger Pigeons, Inferno, Canto XI
collage, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil
38″ x 26″
2023
Scarlet Ibis
collage, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil
34″ x 18″
2022
The 14th Amendment
collage, acrylic, charcoal
24″ x 36″
2022
White American Wolf
collage, acrylic, chalk
24″ x 36″
2022