About

I’ve done many things, lived a lot of places (Colorado, Boston, Chicago, Wisconsin, California and now Minnesota), had many jobs. Though I loved art since very little — I would draw the animals I saw in National Geographic magazines for fun — the possibility of ever working as an artist didn't exist in my head until I was deep into vet school. 

Trained in veterinary medicine (UW-SVM, Madison) and in marine biology (Boston University), I have a deep love and respect for science, medicine and nature, but long felt there were still other things I wanted to pursue.

By some grace, I had instructors and mentors at the vet school that encouraged me to look into scientific and medical illustration. All of a sudden, the thing I had been doing since I was little, drawing, was going to marry with those last 4 years of intense study. After a year of art school (UC-Santa Cruz), I started my own business. It was an amazing couple years of working with medical researchers, surgeons, biotech companies as well as producing artwork for zoo and aquarium exhibits and nature and wilderness/conservation public education. I thoroughly enjoyed working as a translator to communicate complex concepts in a visual way.

It was the recession of 2008-2009 that effectively ended that stage of my work. So many organizations, institutions and private entities couldn’t be sure of receiving funding in the months and years to come, and many projects had to be delayed or cancelled outright. But it can be the darkest moments of our lives that propel us into even greater aspects of ourselves.

In the years since, I’ve been married (which is what brought me to Minnesota), had a little boy, been divorced, and reinvigorated my art career down a whole other avenue, one I never could have foreseen… and that I adore. My first scratchboard pet portrait was accepted into the Minnesota State Fair's Art Show in 2016, and commissions for custom animal portraits have been continuous since then.

During my years in veterinary school, I found a passion for connecting not only with animals but also with the hearts and emotions of their owners and families. Now, through private commissions of the special animals of our lives, I find immense joy in the connections I have with these families in a whole other way -- entrusted not only with the stories of how their animals came to be in their lives, but also the depth of love that is present. There is a soul connection I hope to portray in every portrait I create of someone's animal -- these beings often see us in moments of our lives that few other humans ever do, and they gift us with unconditional love and acceptance.

Though private commissions will continue for some time, I am now venturing into larger works of wildlife — these creations have been a dream for some time, and I'm incredibly excited to be stepping into it. In these pieces, I want to bring dignity to the soul and spirit of a variety of wildlife, as well as our own deep and individual human connections with them. I have worked with people for 25+ years, in a variety of ways, who have trusted me with how much they deeply relate to the animals around them -- often stories they won’t share with others. The truth is that we as modern human beings have felt separated from the natural world for generations, and it's clear it has a negative impact on our mental, physical and emotional health. It's my own deep belief that any conversation or artwork that brings to light how many of us feel a connection to that world is one worthy of existing -- it helps us to understand how we're all connected. Not just to the earth, but to each other as people, and that we have many of the same experiences.

A couple years ago, through my own personal feminine work, a series of sketches began — what can now be seen as the Sweet Lines collection. A series of elegant, minimal but evocative illustrations that celebrate and acknowledge all aspects of femininity, and our connection with our masculine partners. New illustrations are added to this collection throughout the year!

Feel free to contact me with any commission inquiries or questions about current work!. I am always open to establishing relationships with new clients, and love hearing your stories!. See in-progress videos of artwork, as well as past and current work at my Instagram (@jenniferillustrations) as well as an insight into more of my daily life with my son.

Thank you for visiting!