Jennifer Foran is an artist living in Portland, Oregon.  Her art reflects her love of nature.   She draws her inspiration from the nature that surrounds her.  A large body of her work is inspired by views of Mt. Tabor Park in Portland.  She continues to visit the park regularly for new ideas. She credits her son, Liam, and daughter, Lydia, for her Change of Seasons Series.  The time spent with her son and daughter has made her slow down, play more, go for walks and be outside more often.  Jennifer worked full time as an Elementary Art Specialist in Ridgefield, Washington where she established an art program in 2005.  During this time, Jennifer provided art education to over 1,000 students in grades K-6.  This experience allowed her to have the opportunity to be inspired by young artists who intuitively expressed their creativity without hesitation or fear of mistakes.   Jennifer shows her work frequently throughout the Portland and Seattle area.  Jennifer has participated in local non-profit organization events such as the Audubon Society of Portland Wild Arts Festival, School & Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP), Wheel to Walk Foundation and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (LCREP).   She also participates in community events such as the Buckman Elementary Art Show  & Sell , Mt. Tabor Art Walk and Portland Open Studios.   When people see her art she wants them to discover the cycles within nature; the soft-spoken reminder that everything is connected; a balance of give and take. ARTIST STATEMENT The line of a tree branch originally inspired my work.  The absence of leaves allowed interwoven lines to connect and create multiple windows. The spaces between the branches intrigued me as they framed what existed beyond.  I continue to look within these lines as I seek the patterns of trees found in the grains of wood.  As the grain twists and turns, it begins to transform from lines, to threads, to paths that all lead to the soft-spoken reminder that everything is connected.