Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroleen “Jett” Green.
Hi Caroleen “Jett”, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I can finally say , I am a proffessional artist. My paintings are sold at Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao , Hawaii. I have developed into a “Fine Artist” and consider myself to be on an endless experience of transforming into my best artist self. Until death do my muse and I part. I have always found myself to obsessed with art of some kind…. Painting , singing , acting, improv.
My focus at this time in my life is traditional realistic oil painting on canvas with brushes and oil paint. I describe it this way because
I want to clearly say I am not focused on a computer. I use a computer for preliminary work only.
I started in kindergarten, Los Angeles, California, painting with cheap brushes and tempera paint on newsprint.
My subject matter : A happy faced sun, triangular houses, and stick figures hovering about with no sense of perspective.
As I grew up I always found myself doodling , sculpting, creating with different tools and materials like
plaster, toothpicks , chicken bones, gold spray paint, plastic models, clay, coloring books, felt tips and strange toy products
invented by Mattel in the 60’s and 70’s. I loved silly putty and wondered why it never bounced like in the commercials on T.V.
I was never graced with Barby dolls, my parents could not afford them.
I struggled with academic subjects . For example, learning math was a terrifying subject for me , creating unrest and confusion .
I did not know at the time my learning pathway was completely visual so I could not comprehend why 3×3 equaled 9 unless I saw a picture of 9 apples in groups of 3 and counted each one from one to nine.
When I was 19years of age I decided to draw a shoe I had secretly taken from a past 16 year old boyfriend. It had a smiling face on it. A Peter Max tennis shoe creation from the 60s, the only one of its kind …….I was inspired to draw because of an artist friend of the family who was incredibly gifted , studying at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles at that time.
To my shock , I drew this smiling shoe in detail and it looked like “wow! how did I do that??? ”
I had discovered my gift and from that moment forward I was a devoted creative. I married my true love, my invisible muse.
My parents where incredibly supportive of me . They watched me grow into my gift and felt very proud to call me their “little artist.” I received alot of love and support from them. They never stopped me from whatever I wanted to do………what art schools I wanted to go to , what art jobs I happened upon or what secret adventures I had to investigate.
I had specific friends along the way who inspired me, helped and advized me on what steps to take when it came to art schools and jobs. But only specific artist friends who I admired and trusted in their opinion. I had very clear boundaries to who I would listen to and this was less than a handfull .
My artisic painting skill started with a private painting teacher , Ted Lukits in Los Angeles , who I owe my ability to paint realistically to. I would still be in drawing confusion to this day if it wasnt for his clear knowledge of color theory and the magic of drawing and painting something 3 Dimentional on a 2 Dimentional surface. I got the download from Merlin himself . What a gift!
Then on to Art Center College of Design now in Pasadena. It was my school. Every class I took was like an amazing meal . I devoured everything I learned. From painting,drawing, sculpting, rendering . I was in my school of magic!
After art school I went into the artist work world of sweat shops and long hours. Illustrating goofy – eyed kids eating hamburgers. What!!! I felt wiped out and dissolutioned . Is this what being an artist in the work world is like?? On top of that , I was experiencing the patriarchy I was usually the only woman amongst all men.
……….But I never gave up, thanks to my father who always said “You can do it” and “You’ll be laughing all the way to the bank”.
In 1984 the Matte painting job at Lucas films Industrial, Light and Magic came up. I knew I was on the right track. I took a painting test to get in and succeeded. From there I worked on at least 55 films from 1984 to 2017 with a break between 1990 and 1998. These were the years I studied singing, acting and dance.
I worked at different movie complanies as well as free lance. I supported myself and felt very free to make my own choices.
This brings me to where I am today ……. a fine artist in Maui , Hawaii.
Its is hard and sometimes difficult creative work . I tell people the only way Ive continued to create and serve the muse is my love for this process. This love and obsession for painting is how I am carried through the challenges as well as the great times. This is how I have made my may on this journey. I dont give up .
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say 3 quarters of my experience has been a smooth road and “oh boy this is amazing!” Im in a magazine or there is a picture of me with the Oscar! Oh yes , I worked on that movie, Star Wars , The Never Ending Story, Star Trek , Oh that was such a fun Christmas party , Omg! George Lucas was looking at my painting! Oh theres my painting on the big screen!!!!
It looks great wow ……..I sold it !! My work can be very satisfying and I can feel proud of what Im creating. Some of the best feeling can be. ……..Im glad I never gave up . I took breaks and vacations.
Then that other quarter is the part that can be HELL………….. the mistakes, the stretching of my envelope, the smashing of my ego .Realizing I might not be as good as I thought myself to be and getting smashed up . The failures , the crying in the bathroom after a critique. The OMG my painting is dripping linseed oil the next day…………The embarrassment of almost getting fired and facing my supervisor. Standing up to him . Telling him ” IM SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!”
Or my gallery owner mentioning how I should work on making my signature more proffessional .
“Heres your painting we wanted to give it back to you. Its just not selling.” The difficult part is embracing these feelings of
“not good enough, failed”. These challenging feelings eventually dissappear once I move through them , not avoiding reality,
The point Im making is that because Im in love with painting , I will see myself through
any obstacle , any challege. I know that now. The key to succeeding on my own personnal journey is to not walk away, do not stop , do not give up………….keep moving forward in the journey . Always come back to start the new day. I embrace the supposed failure and come back to continue on. Even if one gets fired…….continue to the next job, work , free lance ……………Succeeding and failing are one in the same. Succeeding is also challenging. How much goodness and joy can I receive? The test is the embracing of all the feelings that go along with me on my ride. Each time it gets easier until you are free moving through your life in mastery. Where at a point the things that used to be incredibly disturbing are now an easy ok will do. Then your actual work becomes an experience of real magic.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
-Im a proffessional artist/ painter/ fine art oil painting / Matte painter -visual FX for movies.
-Painting realistically in oils or acrylic .
-What im known for in two different worlds of art:
1. Matte painting for Visual Fx starting in 1984 on
“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “The NeverEnding Story” Star Trek 3 and 4.
2. Fine art oil painting showing at Viewpoints Gallery started in 2021.
Im most proud of my underwater paintings of flowers. My work is more of a spiritual experience . I feeling of peace. Something much needed in our world today.
3. What sets me apart from the others is my abiblity to paint realistically , not photorealistic but real and dimentional . I am most proud of this and the response of the viewer in appreciation of how this
effects them in a calming way and touches their soul in a deep and profound experience.
I have developed my gift since I was 19 years in age and now I am 72. I feel proud to say
I have never given up or stopped, even when I thought I was done or cut loose some how , that was
the muse’s way of taking a break because taking a breather or a break is needed when one rockets away for hours upon hours each day for years at a time. I feel extremely grateful and still see myself as having so much more to learn.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Favorites:
Inspiring artists of the long past and present . No apps, books , podcast or blogs …………………I am a visual , so my inspiration comes from actual 3 dimentional visuals. That which I can see in a 3 dimentional reality.
I recently traveled to Europe . I went to many museums. I saw some of my most beloved artists works .
I was so touched, I felt them speaking to me in viewing their paintings.
I call this a form of Time Travel :.
I , as the viewer, look at their painting …. that vision gets stamped into my pysche. This vision moves through my timeline in my inner vision. I speak about it to another and that is how the artist travels through time on a wave of consciousness.
for example : We do that with Michaelangelo. Hes been traveling through time and will for many lifetimes to come . “The statue of David ”
Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”
-I saw a portrait done by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, It looked so real I gasped when I saw it. …..It didnt look like a photograph and it didnt look like a painting. It looked like he was actually standing in front of me .
I am also inspired Christopher Leith Evans, artist oil painter/ My supervisor at Lucasfilm in the 80s .
Frank Ordaz , artist oil painter/ ordazart.com-
Michael Pangrazio/ Matte painter/
Joelle Perz- showing at Viewpoints Gallery and owner of the gallery
Oliver Perz- owner at Viewoints Gallery
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-I am inspired by integrety and the patience of another . How they can inspire me to do my best.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://viewpointsgallerymaui.com
- Instagram: jettg
- Facebook: Jett Green – facebook
- Youtube: JETT FINE ART and DIY Projects
