About MJ
Artist Statement
“Do one thing every day that scares you”
As an artist raised on mathematics, I’m drawn to the lines, shapes, proportions, symmetry and forms found in nature. In my paintings, these elements are expressed and defined by colors, light, shapes and planes. I love to take photographs of landscapes that excite me and then later convert them to sketches where I reduce the details in the scene down to the most essential elements. I also like to paint and sketch at the scene, plein air, where the colors and light are most dramatic.
My goal is to create a painting that allows you to feel something and I strive to make paintings where the process and result are exciting to me.
I became interested in oil painting during a sabbatical year as a fellow in Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI). The DCI program encourages an exploration of interesting career pivots and new directions.
An oil painting class in my DCI year sparked a renewed interest in art that I had as a child, but never found time for to fit into my adult life. I took the opportunity to explore the liberal arts which I had not done while studying mathematics as an undergraduate at Purdue University or as a Stanford MBA.
I have been taking oil painting classes and painting ever since.
For those of you who have read Alpha Girls, you know my story as one of the first women to succeed in venture capital. It’s an industry that I love and remain a part of.
But heading into what I call my third trimester of life, it’s exciting to try new things that open my world. With the words of Eleanor Roosevelt there to inspire me, “Do one thing every day that scares you,” I recently held my first art exhibition.
It’s my lesson in ‘be everyday brave.”
“Time is not refundable. Use it with intention.”
CV
EXHIBITIONS
“Dart for Art”, Lymelight Foundation Event, Contributing Artist, March 16, 2024
Auction for San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Studio Gallery San Francisco, February 22-35, 2024
Winter Salon, Andra Norris Gallery, 311 Lorton Avenue, Burlingame, CA; November 4-December 23, 2023
Tiny Juried Show, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, November 3-December 23 2023
Solo Exhibition, Lark San Carlos, 641 Laurel Street, San Carlos; July-December 2023
“Dart for Art”, Lymelight Foundation Event, Contributing Artist, March 18, 2023
Terrain-Views of California, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Polk Street, San Francisco, April 26-24, 2023
Auction for the SF-Marin Food Bank, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Pacific Avenue, SF, February 23-26, 2023
Crocker Kingsley Nation Art Competition, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA, January 2023
Tiny Juried Show, Studio Gallery San Francisco , 1641 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, November 4-December 23, 2022
San Marino Art League -Spring into Art, The Huntington Library, Museum, Garden, San Marino, CA, March 25-27, 2022
Terrain-Views of California, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Polk Street, San Francisco, March 3-21, 2022
Auction for the SF-Marin Food Bank, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, February 24-27, 2022
Ode to California, Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, CA, February 4-24, 2022
“Dart for Art”, Lymelight Foundation Event, Contributing Artist, March 2022
Tiny Juried Show, Studio Gallery San Francisco, 1641 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, November 5, 2021-December 23, 2021
Pacific Art League 100th Anniversary Exhibition; 668 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, CA November 5, 2021-January 24th, 2022
Membership Medley; Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA July 16-September 11, 2021
Delicious-Work inspired by food & drink; Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA May 20, June 14, 2021
Lottery for the Arts; Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA May 13, 2021
Urban & Rural-views of California; Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA April 22-May 17, 2021
“Dart for Art”, Lymelight Foundation Event, contributing artist, March 2021
Winslow Art Center Online Juried Show and Sale, Winslow Art Center, Bainbridge Island, WA February-March 2021
Crocker Kingsley Nation Art Competition, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA, January-February 2021
Tiny Juried Show, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA November-December 2020
Pacific Art League, 99th Anniversary: Beyond 2020 Exhibition, Palo Alto, CA, October-December 2020
Marin Society of Artists, Expressions 2020 National Juried Exhibit and Online Gallery, May-June 2020
“Dart for Art”, Lymelight Foundation Event, contributing artist, March 2020
Palo Alto Pacific Art League: The Postcard Show, this show features postcard-sized (4”x6”) art inspired by experiences sheltering-in-place during the Covid-19 pandemic, May 2020
Triton Museum Santa Clara, CA: Statewide Painting Competition and Exhibition with 84 selected out of 1600 submissions. November 2019-January 2020.
Tiny Juried Show, Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA November-December 2019
Silicon Valley Open Studios, May 2019
Art Education
Stanford University Oil Painting class, 2015
California Academy of Painters, Palo Alto (Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth), 2016-2019
Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, 2016-2018
Palo Alto Art Center, 2016-20
Sandy Ostrau, Palo Alto artist, 2016-present
Workshops
“Authentic Provence” Painting Workshop in Provence, Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth, July 2017
“Painting the Still Life & Figure”, Peggi Kroll Roberts, Petaluma Plein Air Liaison, July 2018
“Abstracting and Simplifying Your Painting”, Sandy Ostrau, Gualala Art Center, January 2019
“Plein Air Painting “, with Martin Campos, Tracy Everly, Gage Opdenbrouw, Winslow Art Center, August 2020
“Painting the Ephemeral”, Gage Opdenbrouw, Winslow Art Center, June-July 2020
“Kehoe-Lichtman-Pochinski” Art Digger Labs, November 2020
Randy Sexton 365 Day Mentoring Course, Tuscon Art Academy March 2022-23
Andrew Faulkner, simplifying the landscape, Sausalito, CA February 2023