Jilann Spitzmiller

I’ve spent most of my career as a filmmaker, but art-making has always been an essential endeavor for me. It feels like I’ve got my soul on speed-dial when I’m creating and that I’m delving into the deepest part of my spirit. Painting allows me to step into a nonverbal world, providing freedom and connection to something deeper than spoken language. The work is about something beyond words, but very much tied to the rhythms of life. It’s about the moments and shards of experience that bind us together in love, mystery, heartbreak, magic, spirit, relationships and family. Rarely do I begin a piece with a fixed idea. If I trust the process, something eventually emerges—an image, an emotion, or an idea. I love that moment when the painting begins to reveal itself. I work with mixed media, darks versus lights, and bursts of brilliant color. I enjoy using vintage papers and documents, flea market treasures and materials such as oils, acrylics and wax. I’m honored to be part of a continuum of three generations of artists, living between my father, Walt Spitzmiller, who was a renowned illustrator, and my daughter, Isabel Sargent Rogerson, who is also a painter.