Jenny Schlossberg ’28 Paints Award-Winning Portrait

Jenny Schlossberg ’28 grew up on a small farm surrounded by animals. She channeled that upbringing into an original oil painting titled “Girl With Chicken,” a self-portrait. An art and archaeology major with a studio art concentration, Schlossberg originally completed the painting as an assignment for one of her classes.

She later entered “Girl With Chicken” into the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, where it won several prize ribbons, including first place in oil and acrylic (figure/portrait), champion of oil and acrylic and grand champion of fine arts. Schlossberg also entered her painting into the Maryland State Fair, where it won first place in oil portrait and received a special judges award.

“Submitting the piece was pretty nerve-wracking,” said Schlossberg. “But once I saw how well it did, I was just overwhelmed and so happy. One nice moment was when I took my family to see the piece. We stood back from [the painting] for a few moments, and I got to see people passing by and enjoying my work. That was really gratifying.”

Schlossberg originally conceived the piece through compiling photos of her home farm. She took photos of herself with various animals, experimenting with color, balance and perspective until finding the perfect shot for a painted self-portrait.

“What inspired the work was reflecting who I am within the self-portrait and my roots and connection to growing up on a small farm,” said Schlossberg. “I wanted to be able to communicate both an external and internal self, so I started thinking about how to capture that.”

Outside of class, Schlossberg worked with the Hood College student portrait group. Having different perspectives from fellow student artists gave Schlossberg a sense of community amidst what is typically a solitary practice. She also received support from her faculty mentor Jacob Muldowney, assistant professor of studio arts.

“Professor Muldowney has been really impactful,” said Schlossberg. “He comes to my work with a new perspective and challenges my thinking, which helps me take more risks and be a better artist.”

Schlossberg says that her time at Hood has already informed her practice and helped her grow as an artist. Her coursework has made her more informed, which in turn has changed her thinking. That newfound sense of confidence and experimentation comes out on the canvas.

“All the hard work that gets put into making the piece is worth it,” said Schlossberg. “For me, the communicative aspect of art is so important. I try to carry that through in my own artwork. Making art that has meaning and purpose is what drives me to make art.”

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