Jen Stark, Celestial Continuum, 2009 | felt-tip pen on paper, 26 x 40 inches

First featured in Edition 70, and included as the Spotlight artist in the forthcoming Edition 88 of New American Paintings, Miami-based Jen Stark produces some truly exceptional work. Captivated by naturally occurring organic forms, Stark’s kaleidoscopic palette is inspired by the tropical city she calls home, and her numbered art-making practices make incredible use of ordinary materials.

"I feel like a lot of the designs are influenced by microscopic organic designs in nature,” Stark says. “I try to make my marks not too representational; I want them to be very abstract… I attribute a lot of the color and the layers in my work to the cultural diversity and all the crazy tropical plants that grow in Miami."

Jen Stark, Dark Matter, 2009 | felt-tip pen on paper, 40 x 26 inches

You can read more about Stark and her work in Edition 88, the forthcoming issue of New American Paintings, including the winners of the Southern Competition 2009, which hits shelves later this month.