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Photos bring new life to old objects

Jennifer Blakely poses in her yard next to her husband's Suburban with some of her digital photographs that she prints, colorizes and stretches onto canvas. The large picture of the old abandoned truck was taken on her grandmother's property in southwest Oregon. (J. BART RAYNIAK photos / The Spokesman-Review)
Jennifer Larue Correspondent
Jennifer Blakely poses in her yard next to her husband's Suburban with some of her digital photographs that she prints, colorizes and stretches onto canvas. The large picture of the old abandoned truck was taken on her grandmother's property in southwest Oregon. (J. BART RAYNIAK photos / The Spokesman-Review)

At 27, Jennifer Blakely has taken a running jump into artistic endeavors.

“I look at something and think ‘I can do that,’ ” she said. “You really just need imagination and creativity.”

Sitting in her Valley home that is mostly gutted for renovation, she points to some tile work. “I saw how expensive it was to have done, so I did it myself.” Learning through trial and error, she has mastered what she needs to know for now, and she plans on incorporating her photographs somehow onto tile.

“It started within this last year. I see things on the side of the road. People miss the beauty of old cars, hence the name Still Classics. ”

She calls her business “Still Classic Photography” and she specializes in the aspects of rust, dents and seeming irrelevancy like AM radios. Though the subjects are old, the finished pieces have the flair of modern art with bold shapes and color that is altered on a laptop which serves as Blakely’s “art studio.” Focusing on a grill, a speedometer or the whole body of the car, Blakely gives new life to what once was revered.

The completed pieces are printed onto canvas and stretched onto a frame. The sizes range from 4-by-6 inches to 2-by-3 feet, and the prices are reasonable. “I don’t want them overpriced,” she said, “I want everyone to be able to own them.” Currently she is working on a series for a baby boy’s room.

“I want to do random things, try new things,” she said. She will often tear things apart to see how they are made, driving her husband crazy. Blakely grew up in Oregon. “I grew up very ‘hands on.’ I learned to do and be independent which I think sparked my creativity and problem-solving abilities. It’s important to not let obstacles stop you.”

The red barn on her Valley property is in the process of being converted into a partial studio where she can expand her visions.

Her work history has been random; working with kids, in Home Depot in Hawaii where she and her husband lived for a while, and she opened a coffee stand in Coeur d’Alene called “Drooling Dog Espresso,” named after her large dog, Porter. She may sell the business and move on to other things. “Life is too short to not fill it with the things you love,” she said.

Using lightweight portable display walls, Blakely has taken her pieces to a few arts and craft shows where she said her work has sparked fond memories for viewers. She is looking for more venues in which to show her work while constantly remaining on the look out for more ways to be creative. “It’s important to not be afraid to try new things, and having a creative outlet really helps you as a person,” she said.