Jackie Cleveland

Introducing Jackie Cleveland
by Linda Coverdale

Jackie is a native-born Californian who graduated from Verdugo Hills high school in

Tujunga, California and attended Valley Jr college in Van Nuys where she studied Medical Assisting. After college, she found working in the medical field emotionally challenging. At age 20, she moved to Eugene, Oregon to further her education at the University of Oregon. While living in Eugene, she took up oil painting and discovered she had a natural talent. At the university she decided to pursue a career in visual arts. Living in the splendor of Oregon’s pristine countryside sparked a deep appreciation for nature, and she felt inspired to reflect the beauty in her art. After college she moved back to California and has continued painting.

Her career aspirations developed into graphic design, and she was employed by Hi-Torque Publication in Valencia for a 30-year career, designing the pages of Dirt Bike and Dirt Wheels magazines. She continued to augment her fine art studies in technique workshops. In 2003 she was honored with Best of Show in the annual Valencia Artists Association show.

The French impressionists have also been an inspiration, as they never stopped pushing the limits of the “rules of art”. In her opinion, that is what art is all about…creativity as an exploitative process.

She is enjoying her retirement in Bear Valley Springs and follows her love of color and participating in local art shows.

Oil painting is her main medium, but she also enjoys creating inspirational mixed media artwork. And she also has been selected to have her artwork published in the Stampington’s Somerset Studio Magazine.

Jackie believes we would all be happier and feel more inner peace if we stopped to witness nature’s song and feel the love of nature around us.