Dominica’s awe-inspiring natural landscape and uplifting cultural traditions are the main focal points behind the work produced by local illustrator and digital artist Jenae Bell.

Jenae loved art from a young age but did not consider making it into a full-time career until she joined the Waitukubuli Artist Association. Surrounded by some of Dominica’s most talented creatives, Jenae found her own means of expression, and has been building a successful portfolio of impressive work over the past three years.

Yello chatted to Jenae about her enduring love for art, her proudest career achievement so far, and her thoughts on the local and regional art scene.

Please tell us a bit about your background.

I was born in Dominica, but my mum and I moved to the States when I was two. I spent seven years in New York and came back to live in Dominica when I was about nine. I feel like I was half raised in the States and half in Dominica.

When did you discover your love for art?

I was always interested in art. It’s something that is true to me and it’s always been a way for me to express my thoughts and emotions. When I had ideas, I just had to draw them out. From young I was really into colouring books and stories and, looking back, a lot of people supported me with it because someone was always there to give me colouring pencils.

At Primary School, art was obviously my favourite course. It felt effortless to me. It was also fun to learn about colours, mixing colours, and the science of it all. 

I also remember taking trips to museums in Manhattan and seeing famous paintings and learning about artists like Vincent Van Gogh. That was inspiring. 

But I feel like when I came back to Dominica and experienced the culture, which was part of my identity, I became really inspired by the rich and vibrant diversity especially our music, dance, and traditional wear.

What were your initial career plans?

When I was nine, I wanted to be an interior designer which might have been influenced by my parents because they are both architects. Other than that, I was always interested in anything creative, so at one stage I wanted to be a special effects make-up artist or even a writer.

When did you think you could make a career in art?

When I was around 16 or 17, I started doing a few cultural pieces. That started with me looking for some wallpaper, but I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I decided to make something myself. I posted it on Twitter, and it circulated, and I thought ‘maybe you should do more of these!’ But I wasn’t really considering art as a profession because I didn’t see people doing it professionally.

Then I joined WAA (Waitukubuli Artist Association) and seeing people work as full-time artists, and excelling at it, was eye opening and amazing. I fell into that world and now I’ve been doing art professionally for about three years.

How would you describe your current artistic style?

I like to create vibrant, colourful, whimsical pieces. I like to inspire hope and focus on the good because there’s a lot of dark in the world. 

For instance, in 2020 a group of us were asked to do something around Hurricane Maria, and I chose to focus on the theme of a budding leaf, to show that even though things seem bad, there is a chance to regrow and start anew. I am also really inspired by nature because it is very grounding. 

What are your favourite mediums to work with?

Right now, I work with acrylic paints. I do some digital art as well and I’m getting more into animation.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Dominica is a huge inspiration. I also get a lot of inspiration from my friends because they are characters and I like documenting them in their element.

What has been your proudest career achievement so far?

I think that would be a Kalinago comic book (see image above) that took a year to make. It is for children aged seven to 12 and was released in 2023 as part of a UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) project to create some sense of cultural pride within the Kalinago community.

I worked with Gregory Rabess and Petrea Honeychurch Seaman to model the characters and create the layout and design. I really want children to look at it and see themselves in the book because there isn’t a lot of writing material set in Dominica, made by Dominicans, so it was an important project to me.

Are you enjoying being a full-time artist?

It’s not what you would expect because there is a business aspect to it. But when it comes to the artistic side it is interesting because I have worked on a lot of different projects which can take months or years. I’ve done animations for a cocoa documentary and illustrations for a sea moss textbook. 

I’m currently finishing up the illustrations for a set of Dominica-themed books that I have been working on for the past four years. I’m interested in learning so that is a fun aspect and it’s just nice to make things that you are proud of, and which represent your culture.

Which local, regional, or international artists inspire you?

First and foremost, Earl Etienne who was insanely talented and an inspiring human. He is the biggest artist in Dominica and the first person I saw making a career as a full-time artist which was so inspiring. I got a chance to meet him before he passed away and I am so grateful for that experience.

Lowell Royer, Earl Etienne’s nephew, is also an insanely talented painter. I shadowed him when he was president of WAA, and he was very open to teaching me about colour theory. You can see his influence in my work. We work together all the time.

Michael Lees is an incredible videographer. He made an amazing film called Uncivilised.

Regionally, there are a lot of artists that I am obsessed with – ethandraws is a digital artist from Grenada; caribbeanapple is a digital artist from Trinidad; and @myasymi from St Lucia. 

Internationally, an artist from Mexico called Gawx. He makes these detailed drawings and everything he does is of good quality. And then, Lisa Frank, who is my biggest inspiration. Her work is eye-catching and vibrant, and I’ve been obsessed since young with recreating things that she has done but in a Caribbean way.

What are your thoughts on the local and regional art scene?

I would say the art scene in Dominica is slowly rising because of social media showing what artists can do. I find it inspiring and diverse, and everyone is so creative which is probably because there aren’t many institutions where you can learn art in a formal setting, so you get to play around a lot, and figure it out on your own.

The art in Dominica is jaw dropping, hyper realistic, and I know so many incredible artists. Regionally, I would say the art in Martinique and Trinidad is amazing and original. Caribbean people are just so creative in general because we can make something out of anything. 

I think people are starting to appreciate art. People are documenting what it means to be a full-time artist so there is more respect for the craft once people see what goes into it.

What are your plans over the next 12-18 months?

I am working on building a website. I also want to open a print shop and go into more clothing design because I am getting more into fashion. 

I’d also like to take my education further especially in animation because there is only so much you can teach yourself. Maybe leaving Dominica for a bit might be a good option.

What do you love the most about Dominica?

It sounds so basic, but it has to be the nature. It’s so simple but it makes so much sense. Every time I travel and come back to Dominica; I feel like I can breathe again. The air is so clean. The water in every river is pristine. Doing a retreat in the middle of the jungle. The food, the food!

Where do you go to relax and chill out?

I love camping in Rosalie especially at a place called three rivers. The 3 Rivers Eco-Lodge is also there and it’s fun to get to because you zipline over to it. 

I also like Caapi Cottage Retreat in Cochrane. It’s beautiful with an amazing view of the sea and the mountains. You can really retreat in any place in Dominica because everywhere is so picturesque.

What advice do you have for budding Caribbean artists?

Try not to take yourself too seriously and doubt yourself too much. When you start falling into doubt, you lose yourself and the essence of your work. Your work also needs to be 99.9% you, because you are the only person who can bring out what is in your mind.

What is your general philosophy / approach / motto in life?

I like to tell myself that we are all just floating on a rock so don’t take things too seriously. In the end, something might not work out how you’d expect, but everything will be OK.

—

All images supplied and owned by Jenae Bell. See more of Jenae’s art on her Instagram page.