Jennifer blends her love of pop culture and art (Credit: Rebecca L. Bennett)
As an artist, mother and comic book geek, Jennifer Cunningham is the embodiment of Austin, TX.
Art from Early Age
Her life long love of art started early. Despite life throwing her curve balls, Jennifer has never forgotten how it feels to create. In her own words, “I’ve been drawing and creating various things for as long as I can remember. My mother still has a thing I drew when I was about 4 years old, an illustration of a dinosaur behind an X-ray screen with a mouse in its belly among the bones. My first recollection of getting in trouble at school was a result of me coloring the bunny’s eyes the wrong color in a kindergarten class assignment.”
Unlike her piano and dance lessons, the urge to create images always tickled Jennifer’s brain. Public school art classes never satiated her appetite, so as a teenager she took extra classes at a local community center and developed a penchant for portraits and comic book fan art.
Artistic Growth Leads to Mixed Media
It’s not only paint – Jennifer Cunningham makes fashion accessories as well (Credit: Jennifer Cunningham)
Over the years, life threw those aforementioned curve balls and art went on the back burner. Jennifer told me, ” I spent the first 10 years after high school struggling to work and raise a family (much of that time as a single mom), while attending college classes on and off.” But five years ago, to bolster her income, she came full circle and established herself as a freelance painter.
Jennifer doesn’t limit herself to painting. She’s expanded into mixed media, as well. If you’ve been to a BASHH networking event, you may have seen a few folks walking around with acrylic speech bubbles with their Twitter handles in them. Our editor here at the Austinot even has one. That’s Jennifer Cunningham’s handiwork.
In fact, if you can think it up, she can probably make it. Currently she’s experimenting with a metal clay to create silver jewelry.
Jennifer mixes her love of comics with mixed media artwork (Credit: Jennifer Cunningham)
If that isn’t enough, Jennifer is also a talented makeup artist. She did my wife’s wedding makeup and prepared another of my friends for her 10th wedding anniversary celebration. I’ve even seen her turn a mutual acquaintance into the X-Men movie version of Mystique with mind-blowing body paint.
Following Her Follies
Jennifer Cunningham’s story is inspirational. When thinking about it, the phrase “follow your follies” comes to mind. I’m not an artist the same way she is, yet her story reminds me to explore and hone my own skills and talents no matter what life throws at me. I hope she inspires you as well. We all have something to give to the world. To hide or hoard it is a disservice to ourselves and others.
Jennifer Cunningham is a busy bee. All her art, bookings, event dates and everything else can be found on her website. It’s worth the visit and tell her the Austinot sent you.
@ElDavidThomas wants to know:
What do you love doing?
