Who I Am.
I’m Jennifer, an abstract/geometric painter. I live in Birmingham, Michigan(a suburb of Detroit) with my husband and two daughters. Most days you can find me painting in my studio or planning my next artwork. When I’m not there, I’m either on the tennis court, traveling or doing the day to day parts of running a household! I have a passion for interior design and an excitement for collecting all types of artwork. I received a bachelor degree in Fine Arts from Eastern Michigan University in 1996. Before beginning my painting career, I worked as a jewelry designer, which I believe is why I have a need for precision and detail in my artwork. I am fascinated by colors and shapes, and love experimenting with different combinations of the two. My paintings are often the result of these explorations. Sometimes new ideas happen by accident as I mix colors, or add and subtract lines and shapes VOILÀ – a new design emerges.
Tell us in your own words why you do what you do, keep this positive and relevant including the passion and vision you had to live this new life you have created for yourself.
Each day when I walk into my studio, and see the many tubes of paint next to my easel, I feel inspired and ready to start mixing colors. When I am alone, painting in my studio, my mind feels calm and clear of distraction. I often have to smile as I refer to my painting studio, as my meditation room.
What was it that prompted the change in your journey?
As it turns out, a 2018 vacation to Palm Springs with my husband, ended up being an unexpected turning point in my artistic career. As we walked along the streets, shopped in the stores, and attended a few mid-century home tours, I fell in love with this bright, colorful city. Color was everywhere I looked, and it made me feel really happy. I wanted to have that same uplifting feeling in my daily life at home. I decided to give painting a try, hoping that I could create some “happy” art for our home. My husband loved the paintings and posted a few shots of them on Facebook. To my surprise, friends started contacting me for commissions, and my career as a painter took off.
Jennifer Kroll
Artist
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Is a life goal important to you and how would you define this?
Think of a goal as a destination on a map. Without a defined goal(destination), it is a challenge to know where and when to turn, slow down, speed up, etc. I have learned that in order to reach my goals, I must also have passion and persistence for what I am trying to reach. These are often the necessary keys on my map to reaching my goal.
Why is it important to follow your dream and what have you share from this?
Of course, my ultimate dream was always to be happy. However, the question is how to achieve that happiness. It took years to identify that the simple concept of surrounding myself with beautiful color would be the beginning of my road to reaching my dream. Once I figured that out, I was able to point myself in the right direction, to paint with beautiful vibrant colors everyday. What I quickly found out, is that my bright paintings made a lot people feel happy. I found that the ultimate happiness comes from making other people feel good through my work.
Where do you go from here, what does the future hold?
Without a doubt, I will continue to paint for a very long time. Mostly because it’s what I love to do, and also because I have quite a few commissions waiting to be painted. I look forward to painting in my two new studios, located in Northern, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona, in addition to my original studio in Birmingham, Michigan. I know I will draw inspiration from these beautiful places. It’s impossible to know exactly what my future holds. In 2018, I couldn’t have predicted that my paintings would be on display at GW, LV, and the homes and offices of prominent art collectors. The sky is the limit.
