October 2010 Back Cover Artist: Jensen’s Bridge

Highland Park artist Yelena Klairmont says her work explores various viewpoints of the coexistence and interactions of humans with nature from the perspective of our contemporary world. Her paintings often focus on local scenes from the North Shore ravines of Lake Michigan, as well as areas along the Des Plaines River and throughout the Midwest. Deftly playing with light and color, Klairmont captures reflections and ripples, and brings botanicals to life.

In Jensen’s Bridge, fall leaves mingle with the stone bridge that was a design hallmark of landscape architect Jens Jensen. “My inspiration for this series of paintings was Jensen’s dedication and commitment to let parks and nature be part of urban society,” Klairmont explains. “He once said, about rapid urbanization and lack of green spaces (a phrase he coined) in early 20th century Chicago, ‘If people can’t get to nature, I will bring nature to people,’ referring to his campaign to create public parks and forest preserves in an urban setting.”

View the artist’s portfolio at YelenaKlairmont.com. Klairmont’s paintings are displayed in public buildings throughout the North Shore, and this past summer, her work was featured at The Art Center, in Highland Park.