Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Grumbles.
Hi Jenny, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story? Oh gosh the pressure! Well, to start, I am an artist and I have a full-fledged obsession with light. I paint because I want to capture the sunshine on my subjects and capture the way the light hits them in a literal and a figurative way.
I started painting as a little girl and was encouraged to continue by my mentors. That praise and affirmation was like jet fuel for me to continue creating. I sold my first painting at a very young age at a reputable gallery, which gave me the confidence to pursue art as a trade. Affirmation has been a light for me because I always think I am never enough.
Through my light-seeking life journey, I have continued to paint alongside a few other careers. One, as proprietor of my vintage and refurbished home furnishings shop for a decade. Two, as a reality-show treasure-flipper on A&E’s Storage Wars Texas. Three, as an organizer for the 2008 Presidential election. Number three was the most eye-opening, game-changing of them all… and was also my favorite experience. I second guess myself every day, should I have been a politician not a painter? Is my art on canvas powerful enough for me to “be the change I want to see in the world?”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I used to think the way for me to get into the light was to drown myself in alcohol and drugs that would take me to another planet. It worked, temporarily. But eventually, it was death or sobriety, and I choose the latter. I’ve learned a lot of big lessons in my life. I also just went through a divorce. Talk about darkness. But I know I am super lucky and blessed to be able to have a job I absolutely love with a steady book of clients and commissions. I have a beautiful child and an insane support system. When stuff gets really hard, I absolutely know that the light I crave is at the end of the tunnel. But I don’t want to see life like a tunnel with one light at the end. I work every day to grasp onto that candle picking up bits of fire or sparkly bright things along the way to create my own light.
Taking things one day at a time is huge for me. As an artist, my brain is consumed with thoughts and ideas I want to translate into something tangible, so I have to tell myself to chill. I know people kind of have this vision of all artists as wild, flaky, & flighty which just isn’t true. I’m crazy, but I’m task-oriented and organized. I am so lucky to be a part of a group of inspiring women artists in Dallas. Almost all of them are the same way…crazy but very on top of their stuff which definitely contributes to our collective success.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Equal parts Californian and Texan, Jenny Grumbles realized her passion for painting at age 14. Jenny’s work has an emphasis on color and light, as does her lifestyle. What draws her to the canvas is capturing the way light hits her subject. Fueled by caffeine and loud music, she paints an over-booked calendar of commissioned work seeking to bring joy to her client’s homes by capturing their memories or helping them create new ones.
With a degree from Southern Methodist University, some guidance from mentor Anne Irwin of Anne Irwin Fine Art, and a few years of sobriety, she was able to found the J.Grumbles Studio in California. She began selling her art in galleries and shops from California to Georgia.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Fave Books: Untamed, Glennon Doyle
Boundaries, Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Becoming, Michelle Obama
The Idea of You, Robinne Lee
Contact Info:
- Email: info@uptowncountryhome.com
- Website: www.jgrumblesstudio.com
- Instagram: @jennygrumbles_uptowncountry
- Twitter: @jennygrumbles
Image Credits:
Angela Criston Pitts
