"I began by making small still life studies on paper and, for the past two decades, these have gradually evolved, increasing in scale and complexity. I continue to work on paper because it allows for a level of detail and a range of ways of handling paint that I find hard to achieve on other surfaces. Painting is a way to explore the beauty and mystery I see in nature and to go beyond observation to a greater understanding of its structure and variety. I have been concerned with texture and color within my compositions, which I hope achieve a strong sense of light and balance. Although I am drawn to a wide range of sources, my primary influences are in Spanish seventeenth-century painting and Asian painting. I strive to create images which acknowledge a debt to the past while communicating my sense of wonder in nature in a personal way."
- Jeffrey Ripple
Many of the flowers and herbs that appear in Ripple’s work come directly from his garden. Other objects in his work come from his admiration for Spanish Baroque painting’s depiction of materials and items as “almost spiritual”. By lighting and arranging his subjects well he aims to give them that spiritual dimension.
Ripple’s studies from his garden are used to show more of the painting process to indulge marks that would otherwise not make it into a final composition for a large painting. “I’m creating a little world. Everything has to work together. It has to be a balanced thing in the end.” Balancing light, color, and texture led him to Trompe l’Oeil painting. By meticulously rendering every aspect of his paintings, he creates a beyond real experience for his audience.
Jeffrey Ripple obtained a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a focus in painting from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He currently lives and works in Wisconsin.