Jill Soukup was born in Buffalo, New York. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to Colorado, where she still resides. Jill’s affinity for horses as a young girl resulted in countless drawings and studies of them, which made for a strong drawing foundation. As a teen, she started a pet-portrait business, acquired jobs painting murals, and designed logos for local organizations. She graduated from Colorado State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Art. There, she received awards for illustration and design and worked as an illustrator and designer for the university. She initially pursued a career in graphic design while continuing to paint part time. After 11 years as a designer, she made the switch to full-time painting. Her work continues to gain recognition as she receives awards, appears in national publications, and shows in important juried and one-woman exhibitions.
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 Illustrations for Colorado State University campus newspaper Corporate identity and graphic design for Monigle & Associates Print and web design for Denver Museum of Nature & Science Solo Exhibitions Abend Gallery, Denver, CO – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 "Compelled by Structure," University of Northern Colorado School of Art & Design Galleries, Greeley, CO – 2007 Timmons Gallery, Rancho Santa Fe, CA – 2004, 2006 Selected Group Exhibitions Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, National Western Stock Show, Denver, CO – 2009, 2010 Windows to the Divine Exhibition & Sale, Madden Museum of Art, Greenwood Village, CO – 2009 Colorado Gold, The Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO – 2009 Colorado Art Open, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO 2009 Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Nomadas Del Arte Exhibition & Sale – 2008, 2009 WAOW (Women Artists of the West) 39th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Saks Galleries, Denver, CO – 2009 Foothills Art Center, Glitter in the Garden Gala, Golden, CO – 2008 Society of Animal Artists, Art & the Animal Annual Exhibition – 2007, 2008 Oil Painters of America West/Southwest Mountain Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, South Wind Gallery, Topeka, KS – 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 West/Southwest Mountain Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA – 2003 VSA (Vision, Strength, and Artistic) Fine Art Auction, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO – 2002, 2003, 2004 Public Education & Business Coalition, Colorado Artists for Youth Art Sale and Auction, Colorado History Museum – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Northern Colorado Artist Association 11th National Art Exhibition and Sale – 2002 Awards
Two finalist awards in the animal art category, The Artists Magazine 23rd Annual Art Competition – 2006, 2008, 2009 Jury's Top 50, Salon International Museum of Contemporary Masters – 2006, 2007, 2008 Third place in the animal art category, The Artists Magazine 20th Annual Art Competition – 2003 Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America West/Southwest Mountain 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 (Artist Member) Publications
Landscape Painting by Mitchell Albala, page 108, 2009 Denver Woman, “Meet Jill Soukup: A Portrait in Duality & Balance,” December/January 2009 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 Elightened 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 Collections
Cherry Creek School District Honeywell, Inc. Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep Society Children’s Hospital (Denver)
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 tenden
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