Jill Soukup, a Colorado native, graduated from Colorado State University in 1991 with a Bachelors of Fine Art.  She initially pursued a career in graphic design. In 2002 she made the switch to painting full-time. Since then, her work continues to gain recognition as she receives awards, appears in national publications, and shows in important juried and one-woman exhibitions.

Resumé

Education

•Art Students League of Denver, various classes —1991 to present

•Bachelor of Fine Arts, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO — 1991

Related Work Experience

•Illustration for Colorado State University campus newspaper

•Corporate identity and graphic design for Monigle & Associates

•Print and web design for Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Selected Exhibitions

•Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX — 2006, 2007, 2008

•Nomadas Del Arte Exhibition & Sale, The Sage Creek Gallery of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM — 2008

•One-woman retrospective show, "Compelled by Structure," University of Northern Colorado School of Art & Design Galleries, Greeley, CO — 2007

•Oil Painters of America Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Topeka, KS — 2007

•Art & the Animal, 47th Annual Exhibition, The Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO — 2007

•Oil Painters of America Annual National Juried Exhibition — 2001, 2003, 2007

•Colorado Governor’s Invitational Art Show and Sale, Loveland Museum — 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007

•California Visions, Long Beach Museum of Art — 2005

•Oil Painters of America Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Santa Barbara, CA — 2003

•VSA (Vision, Strength, and Artistic) Fine Art Auction, Denver, CO — 2002, 2003, 2004

•Public Education & Business Coalition, Colorado Artists for Youth, Colorado History Museum — 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

•Northern Colorado Artist Association 11th National Art Exhibition and Sale  — 2002

•Art Students League of Denver, various shows — 1998 to present

Awards

•Jury's Top 50, Salon International Museum of Contemporary Masters — 2006, 2007

•Two Finalist awards in the animal art category, The Artists Magazine 23rd Annual Art Competition — 2006

•Third place in the animal art category, The Artists Magazine 20th Annual Art Competition — 2003

•Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America Regional Juried Exhibition  — 2003

•Honorable Mention, Northern Colorado Artist Association 11th National Art Exhibition and Sale  — 2002

•Colorado State University Creative and Performing Arts Award — 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990

•National Scholastic Portfolio Competition New York Scholarship — 1987

•National Scholastic Arts Award — 1985, 1986, 1987

Memberships

•The Society of Animal Artists (Signature Member)

•Oil Painters of America 

Publications

•The Artist's Magazine, “Competition Spotlight: Jill Soukup,” May 2007

•American Art Collector, “Jill Soukup: Drawn to Horses,” March 2007

•The Cultural Times, “Jill Soukup: Sharing Her Vision,” January 2007

•Art-Talk, “Summer Art Destinations: One Day There,” June/July 2005

•Southwest Art magazine, “Urban Patterns,” August 2004

•Enlightened Woman Magazine, “Women in Art,” March/April 2004

•The Artist’s Magazine, “2003 Art Competition Model Artists,” December 2003

•Art Revue: Rocky Mountain Fine Art News, “Interview: Jill Soukup at Abend Gallery,” October 2003

•Southwest Art magazine, “Painting Colorado,” January 2003

•Art Revue: Rocky Mountain Fine Art News, “Talent in Revue,” October 2002

•U.S. Art magazine, “Introducing,” May 2002

•Southwest Art magazine, “Artists to Watch,” December 2000

Artist’s Statement 

From the dishes in my sink to a bustling city scene, I find inspiration everywhere: in the interplay of shapes, values, edges, textures, and colors. Intuition and a sense of composition bring these elements together.

Thematically, I find myself returning again and again to the juxtaposition between rigid, mechanical, man-made objects and the fluid, organic aspects of nature—discovering that despite their contrasts, they share and exchange the same tendencies.