“I want them to be able to see what I see.”
That’s what artist Jami Childers hopes people get from her art. The California native, who relocated to St. Augustine when she was 19, has had a love of art for as long as she can remember.
That love was fostered by her grandfather, who took her one summer to paint, and having an eye for art just kind of came to her naturally.
“I wasn’t good at any other school work, but I was good at art,” Childers joked. “I used to do my projects, and everybody else’s projects.”
Childers, who now lives in Jacksonville, does a lot of commissioned portrait art, memorializing people’s beloved family members, human and animal, in beautiful, lifelike, oil paintings.
But Childers doesn’t limit herself to one medium.
“I like to experiment,” she said. “I like to learn new things and try new things. I’m always experimenting with new stuff.”
Childers’ art is on display at the High Tide Gallery in St. Augustine, and several other locations around the First Coast, but perhaps the easiest way to check out her work is while getting a haircut or color.
Jami’s Barber Salon and Art Studio, located in Jacksonville’s Arlington area, is owned by Childers and showcases some of her art, along with some works by other local artists.
Her work can also be seen at the upcoming Pups and Sups Surfing Contest on Sept. 27 and 28 in St. Augustine. She was one of the artists selected by the Guy Harvey Resort to paint a surfboard for the event, which is something right up her alley. Childers says she’s particularly fond of water and ocean themed art.
“I like doing seascapes and things like that because you can experiment with the color and water dripping and all different mediums,” she said. “It’s a little freer, it doesn’t have to be so exact. When you do portraits, it’s really precise, but when you do the other stuff, you can let more of your own creativity come through.”
For inspiration, Childers takes a lot of photographs, particularly of sunrises, when the sky offers an abundance of colors.
“I don’t really paint with a message,” Childers said. “I just paint what I like. I want people to be able to experience the sunrise without having to go out to do it. I want them to be able to see what I see.”
For more information on Childer’s artwork, go to www.portraitartistjamichilders.com or visit portraitartistJamiChilders on Facebook.
