When I was born, my parents lived in a two-room rock house with eight other children and countless field mice. The rock house was the homestead built in 1884 on our cattle ranch in northwest Nebraska. My dad died when I was two, and my mom never remarried. When I was four we moved to Littleton, Colorado. I went to Catholic grade school and public high school (Englewood High). I started painting seriously when I was thirteen. Art became an all-consuming passion. My mom and I moved to Arlington Heights, Illinois when I was seventeen. I spent my senior year of high school at Rolling Meadows High. Although still very active in art, I majored in Philosophy at Lake Forest College, but at the beginning of my sophomore year I withdrew for personal reasons. I attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago but went on a leave of absence after marrying to move to Los Angeles. My husband started a career as a sound editor and I worked as a picture framer, eventually returning to school to earn a Bachelor's of Art in art from California State University Northridge in 2001. I was eight months pregnant at my graduation. I had a beautiful little boy, and before his first birthday we moved back to the Chicago suburbs. My son is now seven. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, framer, thinker, friend, writer and critic. But no matter where I go or what I do, I am at my core what I have always been - an artist. One whose eyes, mind and hand are tied together in such a manner as to be a single organ designed to interpret and communicate.

Exhibitions
2008 - "5 Years on the Run," Live painting event, Orleans Street Gallery, St. Charles IL
2008 - "Picturing Mary: Contemporary Images of the Madonna," Orleans Street Gallery, St. Charles IL
2008 - Around The Coyote Select, Chicago IL
2007 - Around The Coyote Fall Arts Festival, Chicago IL
2006 - Around The Coyote Fall Arts Festival, Chicago IL
2005 - Around The Coyote Fall Arts Festival, Chicago IL
2003 - Distinctive Details Functional & Decorative Arts, Arlington Heights IL
2001 - Juried Art Exhibition, California State University Northridge, Northridge CA
2000 - Juried Art Exhibition, California State University Northridge, Northridge CA

Awards and Honors
2008 - Invited to Exhibit in ATC Select and chosen as featured artist by Paul Klein for Critic's Pick Tour.
2005 - Work featured in September 9th Chicago Tribune "Metro" Section.
2001 - "Honorable Mention" juried art exhibition, California State University Northridge.
2000 - "Best of Show" juried art exhibition, California State University Northridge.
1998-2001 - Honor Roll and Dean's List at California State University Northridge.

Education
1998-2001 - California State University Northridge. Bachelor of Arts in Art.
1994-1995 - The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Violet Artemisia Jaffe
(847) 394-0079

violet@violetjaffe.com

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