Jean Bradley knew from an early age that she would be a professional artist. She could be seen sketching and drawing from a tender age. Art has been part of her life since childhood. Initially, her formal training in painting centered on oils, but for the last 35 years she concentrated on watercolors; and the last two years have seen her exploring acrylics. Jean has been featured in one-person shows in New Hampshire, New York, Kauai and Massachusetts. She has studied with nationally acclaimed artists, including Peter Berg (a portrait artist), John Peisley, Stephen Quiller, as well as Lisa Forster. She loves the exploration of shapes and light and dark values in her paintings. Color is her passion. People often comment, in viewing her work, that they feel the energy, the life force, in the vibrant movement and colors. It's her expression of the magic in nature.
She has been actively involved in art associations, has been the artist in residence at several galleries, and the recipient of several awards for her paintings. Jean and her husband, Phillips Rik, exhibited their work at a show at the Kauai Museum in July-August, 1997. It was the first husband-and-wife show. Jean teaches acrylics as well as watercolor. She has her work on Visions Gallery at Morro Bay in California, Kauai at East-West Interiors in Kapaa, and a Gift for all Seasons on Oahu. Color and light are her passion and finding new ways to express their use on canvas is what stirs her artistic soul.
