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Jean says her artistic career began at a very early age, when her parents finally said,
“No, you can not have a horse!”
So, she drew horses, lots of horses and all the other critters that were around her small town home. She drew frogs and snakes from the garden, moths from the window screens on summer nights, fish from the little creek that ran through the neighbor’s wheat field and the little screech owl she found frozen one very cold winter morning. She says she has always been curious how nature works, how critters live their lives and how things are put together.
She studied at Eastern Michigan University; The School of the Art Institute Chicago; and University of Illinois School of Art and Design Chicago; where she received her bachelors of studio arts. In New Orleans she has taken master classes in figure drawing with Auseklis Ozols. She taught beginning and intermediate figure drawing at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts starting in the fall of 1994 until the fall of 1999. On the NOAFA faculty since 1994 Jean teaches beginning and intermediate drawing, painting with gouache and botanical illustration.
Jean began her work as an illustrator in 1970 with biology textbooks. She has over 60 titles in natural history books for young people, including Armies of Ants, Fabulous Frogs, Chameleons, Creepy Beetles, and Butterflies, all Scholastic Books for young readers; Swift as the Wind - the Cheetah, Orchard Books; Earthmates - poetry, Marshall Cavendish; Once I Knew a Spider, Walker&Co.; Lonesome George, the giant tortoise, recipient of the 2004 Giverny Award, Walker&Co., Groundhog Stays Up Late, Walker & Co. 2005
The Mysterious Collection of Dr. David Harleyson, Walker&Co., is Jean’s first book of fiction, and the first book she has written and illustrated. It has been awarded the Golden Kite Award by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, for the best illustrated picture book of 2004, and was juried into the Original Art, Society of Illustrators, New York , NY.
The sequel Br'er Rabbit Captured! Another Dr. David Harleyson adventure was released fall of 2007 and was a SIBA finalist for best book of the year.
Two Bobbies:A True Story of Hurricane Katrina,
Friendship, and Survival
co-authored by Kirby Larson & Mary Nethery
illustrated by Jean Cassels
Walker Books
Released August 2008 it continues to receive State Book Awards.
Her illustrations for Swift as the Wind, the Cheetah, Orchard books, were included in the juried Original Art, Society of Illustrators, New York in 1997. A painting…Madame Moitessier was juried into Illustrators 40, Society of Illustrators, New York , 1998. Her work has twice been accepted in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs, Mississippi , Cross Currents, 1997 and 2000. Her work has twice been hung at the Contemporary Arts Center , “Art in the Service of Illustration” and in 1999 with Auseklis Ozols an installation of figure drawings to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the New Orleans Academy .
1994 First Invitational self-portrait show at the Academy Gallery.
1995 One person show at the Academy Gallery.
1998 “Fest for All” Baton Rouge , LA.
1999 “ Sheros” Hanson Gallery, New Orleans , LA
2000 The Glass Works, painting and glass design New Orleans , LA.
January 2001 a group show at the New Orleans Academy , with sons Michael and John.
January 2002 Faculty show at the Academy Gallery
February 2002 “Real Women” a group show Southeastern Louisiana University
April 2003 Second Invitational self-portrait show at the Academy gallery
September 2004 Faculty show at the Academy Gallery
October 2004 “Art Works for the Earth” Duque Art Center , New Orleans , LA
March 2005 One person show at the Academy Gallery
Each year since 1991 her work is in the Academy Gallery winter group miniature show.
February 2006 Mardi Gras Show at the Academy Gallery
September 2006 Fall Faculty Show at the Academy Gallery
November 2006 Holiday Miniature Show Academy Gallery, New Orleans, LA
September 2007 Fall Faculty Show at the Academy Gallery, New Orleans School of Fine Arts.
November 2007 Holiday Miniature Show Academy Gallery, New Orleans, LA
November 2008 Holiday Miniature Show Academy Gallery, New Orleans, LA
January 10th - March 2nd, 2009-- Invitational Drawing Exhibition,The Academy Gallery, New Orleans, LA
September 2015 ` Fall Faculty Show ... The Academy Gallery,New Orleans School of Fine Arts. 5256 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70115
November 2009,2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 .... ~Holiday Miniature Show ~
Academy Gallery, Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA
Nov. 7th – Nov. 30 ., 2009 --
THE ELEMENTS...Fire, Earth, Air, Water
Garden District Gallery 1332 Washington Ave. New Orleans, LA.
504-891-3032 Tuesday - Saturday 11am-7pm
www.gardendistrictgallery.com
Jan.9th – Feb.26th., 2010 -- The Human Figure Invitational Show
New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts
5256 Magazine Street, New Orleans , LA. , 70115;
(504) 899-8111 www.noafa.com
Jan. 15th –Feb.28th., 2010 -- The Proclamation Artists of REX
Garden District Gallery 1332 Washington Ave. New Orleans, LA.
504-891-3032 Tuesday - Saturday 11am-7pm
www.gardendistrictgallery.com
April 16th –May 30 th., 2010 -- Fairy Tales
Garden District Gallery 1332 Washington Ave. New Orleans, LA.
504-891-3032 Tuesday - Saturday 1 am-6pm
www.gardendistrictgallery.com
Nov. 7th – Nov. 30 ., 2009 --
THE ELEMENTS...Fire, Earth, Air, Water
Garden District Gallery 1332 Washington Ave. New Orleans, LA.
504-891-3032 Tuesday - Saturday 11am-7pm
www.gardendistrictgallery.com
June 6th-July 25th, 2015 ....... Group Show - Ourobouros -LeMieux Gallery 332 Julia, New Orleans, LA
Fall Faculty Show; September 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 ; Academy Gallery,
New Orleans School of Fine Arts. 5256 Magazine Street, NOLA
November 2015; 2016 Holiday Miniature Show
Academy Gallery, 5256 Magazine Street,
New Orleans, LA
(504) 899-8111 www.noafa.com
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