Jen Walls
Fort Lauderdale Branch
Fancy Nancy
Mixed Media on Aquaboard
www.jenwalls.weebly.com

Mixed-media artist and mark-maker, Jen Walls, is often inspired by mythology, folklore and stories of indigenous peoples. Self-taught, her art is the result of disciplined studio time, a regimen of exploratory and experimental projects and a good dose of magic. Her whimsical characters invite the viewer to explore the transformative nature of fairytales…entering the woods at night, conquering our fears and emerging on the other side as stronger, more compassionate versions of ourselves.

Jen considers storytelling to be the primary finishing medium in art. Her workshops explore personal storytelling and archetypes, along with a bit of quirky whimsy.

Unconventional materials are part of Jen’s standard repertoire, including wood reclaimed from scrap heaps and dumpsters as supports. Her preferred tools are paper towels, old credit cards and fingers, though she will occasionally use an actual paint brush. Her works consist of many layers of watercolor, acrylic, ink and paper. Hand- printed papers are part of the “clothing” of her whimsical characters.

Her first collaborative book, Blue Wild, was published in 2016, and features paintings “illustrated” by the haiku poetry of kindred spirit and writer Mary W. Cox. She was a featured artist in the 2017 book 100 Love Notes by author Hyong Yi.

Jen writes an introspective (and sometimes humorous) blog piece to accompany each new work of art, allowing a peek into the thought process and methods of every creation. An advocate for doodling in the classroom, the waiting room and the board room, she lives in Florida with her husband, son and assorted mischievous wildlife.