jennifer radil studio

This painting, measuring four feet by eight feet, was commissioned by an international social media company. The scene depicts three sandhill cranes at sunset. These birds mate for life and each spring, hundreds of thousands of them congregate in Nebraska’s Platte River Valley, as they have for millennia. The top third of the piece is colored pencil. I wanted the bands of color to lend a contemporary feel to this timeless scene. The birds and background are acrylic paint, with some map fragments collaged, as well.

90% of Nebraska is ag. land and we all know the essential roles weather and water play for farmers and ranchers. “Long horizon” represents the unbroken vistas we see in this region…my hope for a long time horizon to continue creating…and the appreciation of older technology at the same time we move towards newer renewable energy, again, with hope.

The grandparents of the brothers pictured, commissioned this watercolor and colored pencil portrait for the boys’ parents. With portraits, I ask the person commissioning one to select three photos from which I can possibly work. I select the one that I think best lends itself to a successful result. We discuss palette, concept, and scale, all of which help determine price point. The grandparents framed the finished work and surprised their son and daughter-in-law with this capture of a sweet moment.

This large scale mixed media painting was commissioned by Omaha’s Munroe-Meyer Institute. The Institute is part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and their mission is “to achieve the highest standard in family-centered services for persons with disabilities and complex health care needs across the lifespan.” The Phoenix is a mythical bird that is said to live, die in fire, and then regenerate from the ashes. It's a continuous cycle that represents infinite renewal and the coupling of creation and destruction. In March, 2021, the organization relocated to a newly constructed building. This piece has been permanently installed in the entrance of their Administrative wing. 4 ft. x 5 ft. Acrylic, watercolor, ink, colored pencil, and collaged paper on paper.

This scrolling piece is a tribute to spring and summer blooms, and the creatures they attract, from insects to hummingbirds. The medium is primarily colored pencil but I also collaged decorative papers in parts, such as teal luna month and the body of the Goliath beetle. Sunflowers, coneflowers, hollyhocks, and a Monstera leaf all make appearances. A pair of cardinals perch and take in the scene. The original work is framed and available. Vignettes from the banner are available as cards in the Shop.

This piece was also commissioned by the Buffett Cancer Center for their 7th floor Special Care Unit. I created the 42X36 inch painting by layering colored pencil over watercolor. (The blue sky is acrylic.) I fashioned one of the crane’s feathers from pages of vintage atlases and accounting ledgers. It’s a detail that adds an element of shadow play when the work is hung; it invites the viewer to look more closely; and it reflects the birds’ early historical origins.

In spring of 2019, I began working on the first of seven paintings commissioned by the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, located on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. The paintings were destined for their 7th Floor Special Care Unit. In this unit stem cell transplant patients live in isolation for up to three months as they undergo the transplant and recovery process. Nebraska Medicine's Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant program has been ranked as one of the busiest stem cell transplant programs in the world. It was an honor to create works for this site that is host to patients, families, caregivers, and staff.

From my Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center proposal of commissioned work:

"Sandhill Cranes mate for life—which can mean two decades or more—and stay with their mates year-round. Far from impacting solely the patient, cancer and cancer care affects partners, family systems, and friends. This piece is a tribute to partnerships, to companionship, to moving through experiences in tandem."

Mixed media on paper. 2016. Private commission for a residence. Prints of this image are available.

This 44x68 inch residential commission is a mixed media ode to one of the world's most storied golf courses. Paper fairways, acrylic sand traps, and embroidery floss greens make for a unique representation of the practice area, par 3 course, and 18 holes. The background is composed of vintage Masters Tournament score cards. Prints of this image are available, starting at 11x14 inches.

Mixed media on paper. 51 x 120 in. 2014. Commissioned by The Grey Plume restaurant, Omaha, NE. The original artwork as well as prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 34 x 46 in. 2014. Prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 34 x 50 in. 2015. Prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 2019. The original artwork as well as prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 2016. Private commission. Prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 2016. Private commission. Prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 16 x 12 inches. 2017. Prints of this image are available.

This painting marked my first collaboration with a podcast. In the series, “Portrait,” a character named June paints landscapes. I was given the script and asked to create a painting as described in this excerpt, written by Arlen Ginsberg and Ben Sampson.

“The land in the painting feels hard, frozen for miles underneath. Rock ripping up the soil, reaching up beyond the surface of the snow. Dull white, crooked shadows. A rumor of mountains in the distance. The suggestion of alpenglow on the highest peaks. A sun hiding for its life.

Your eye is drawn to lower left. A farmhouse. Abandoned. The roof caved in. The windows hollowed out. Where is this supposed to be? It could be anywhere. Except probably the tropics.

It's...unbearably lonely. There doesn't seem to be anything out here. Anyone. You squint to see if there’s even any footsteps in the field closest to the house.

There's nothing. No sign. Except for the message, almost undetected. Intended just for you.

Come find me.”

Can you see where I’ve incorporated the message in the clouds?

Mixed media on paper. 46 x 32 in. 2012. Private commission. Prints of this image are available.

Mixed media on paper. 48 x 35 in. 2012. The original artwork as well as prints of this image are available.

This 12” x 16” painting was a draft, or prototype, for a larger commissioned work, “Phoenix Ascendant”. While the Phoenix is typically associated with the sun, here the bird soars, wings spread, under a full golden moon. Watercolor, acrylic, and colored pencil on paper.

This mixed media collage was commissioned by a a soon-to-be-mother. She requested an art piece she could use during a home water birth to focus on relaxation and allowing for the flow of contractions. She sent me examples of inner cave walls and the idea of the baby moving into the open, so this one was a real collaboration.

”The sound that’s heard from the conch shell is said to be symbolic of the sacred ‘Om’ sound which is believed to be the very first sound of creation. This is why the conch is blown before any ritual or ceremony since it represents good luck and marks the start of any positive or auspicious work. Even today it’s believed that when the conch shell is blown, the environment around it will be purified from all evil and good fortune will enter.”

symbolsage.com/conch-shell-spiritual-meaning/

Watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic, and pencil on paper. 13 x 13 in. The original artwork is available.

Watercolor and pencil on 1970's temperature map. 8.5 x 11 in. 2017. Prints of this image are available.

Pencil and ink on 1970's map. 8.5 x 11 in. 2017. The original artwork is for sale and prints of this image are available.

This 46X68 inch portrait of Craig H. Neilsen hangs in the atrium of the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, located on the University of Utah campus. Craig founded Ameristar Casinos and his Foundation has improved, and continues to improve, the quality of life for folks with spinal cord injuries in a myriad of ways. I’m proud I was selected to paint this rendering of a man to be admired.

This piece marked some “firsts” for me; it’s my biggest watercolor to date and my first portrait of this scale.

Mixed media on paper. 2014. Original artwork has been purchased. Prints of this image are available.

Acrylic on walnut-stained birch panel. 2015. The original artwork is sold.

Created with participants in the Summerworks Omaha program and displayed on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.

These one-of-a-kind books are available in Small, Medium and Large sizes in my art studio. Please contact me with commission requests.