Cedar Sink Spring. Photo by Jenny Morehead.

Ms. Morehead is a photographer. She explained, “When I was a little girl we lived in Germany. My father was a history major so we did a lot of traveling and there was always at least one museum involved everywhere we went. I got to see great art all over Europe. Of the paintings I saw I always liked the realism style best but I developed an appreciation for impressionism. My parents also took copious amounts of photos to send back to the relatives in the States. They gave me a camera on my ninth birthday. As an adult, I still like photos that tend toward realism but one thing I love to do is manipulate photos so they have the soft lines of impressionism and watercolors. I love to do nature photography. My children say that is a good thing because when I am taking pictures of people my favorite phrase tends to be, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute.’ I’ve started taking more pictures with crowds and enjoy the challenge of finding a different way to look and capture moments of events instead of the whole thing. I guess that is my special education training coming out…trying to break things down to their component parts. Macro photography fits that very well because you are only taking photos of parts of things.”

Born in Bowling Green, Jenny grew up as an Army brat and has lived in several places in the states and around the world. She attended the University of Kentucky where she got her degree in education and special education. She moved back to Bowling Green in 1988 to become a Warren County teacher.

“One of the best things about photography is that you can take it with you wherever you go. There is a potential photograph everywhere”, stated Jenny. Her four legged office assistants often end up in her photos. She said they do not complain and she tries to keep them fed and happy. Some of her favorite pictures were taken of them and around the yard.

Jenny Morehead tells us, “I do not like to be bored by art. I want to see something I have never seen or see it from a different perspective. I can appreciate art that I do not particularly like if it meets those criteria. Inspiration comes from taking the time and relearning how to play. Adults often get too involved with the stressors and responsibilities of life. Finding something you love to do and doing it with abandon can be freeing and inspirations can flow. We need to remember to give ourselves an occasional recess”.

Jenny belongs to the Sunny 16 Photo Club here in Bowling Green. She is constantly amazed at how much technical information she does not know. She bought one of those cameras for dummies books to try and fill in some of the blanks. Everyone she meets at the Sunny 16 has been very helpful and patient. She said she is very lucky to have Chris Grinsted in her life for he, a career art teacher has taught her volumes.

Ms. Morehead has shown her art at the Bowling Green Public Library and has been in the US Bank Show at the Kentucky Museum for several years. She won third and first place in amateur photography and in 2010 she won the Purchase Award. She said, “I have been in the All Kentucky Juried Show at the Capitol Arts for the past three years and have shown pieces at VSA. Being an almost retired teacher, I am extremely excited to have a piece hanging in the Western Kentucky University’s College of Education and Behavioral Sciences new library.”

“I hope to keep taking pictures that I like and hopefully, other people will like them as well. I’d like to be more involved in the retail aspects in order to sell more of my work. I sure do like selling stuff! Besides the obvious financial aspect, it is gratifying to know that my work is liked and appreciated by someone who is not obligated to say something nice in order not to hurt my feelings.”

You can see Jenny’s work first hand when she and David Jones have their exhibit of new works in the Houchens Gallery at the Capitol Arts Center starting July 29th. The exhibit will run through the end of August and will be on display for the gallery hop on August 12th. You can contact Jenny Morehead at: jpmorehead@yahoo.com or 270-782-3916.

Jenny leaves us with this: “I don’t think the arts can be separated from other areas of your life. Music, dance, theatre and visual art should be integrated in everything. As a teacher, I have seen the importance of this in students’ lives everyday. I truly believe the arts make the difference between existing and living. It enhances and makes our lives richer for it.”

About the author: Ronnie Jaggers is a seasoned sculptor, fine artist and master crafter. Her work can be seen on ChiseledFeaturesStudio.webs.com. She reminds other artists “Trust the beauty of your art, for if you see the beauty, others will too.” To be considered for the featured artist call Ronnie at 791-3505 or email ChiseledFeaturesStudio@yahoo.com