We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenna Lueck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jenna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My most meaningful projects have come in the form of commissioned farmscape paintings. Through them, I can bring uplifting pieces of the past back to life for families and keep their legacy living on!
Jenna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’d love to. Hi! I’m Jenna, and I love to create these vibrant landscape/skyscape/farmscape paintings! I capture the moments that you only see for a few precious seconds so you can enjoy them forever. Jumping into the world of painting, honestly was kind of an accident! I went to college not 100% knowing what I wanted to do with my life, but thinking graphic design would be fun. Much to my dismay, I had to take art classes to get into the graphic design program. I was honestly quite frustrated to not be sitting at a computer that first year. Fast forward a little, I fell in love with painting, ended up with a double major and here we are today!
I didn’t realize that I’d become an artist while I was growing up as a farm-kid in Eastern Iowa. I loved crafts, animals, the farm, nature, and being involved in my community. Growing up on a farm and being close to my family is really what led me to where I am today. It gave me a knowledge of animals, land, buildings, and the sky that most don’t ever get a chance to experience.
I am now creating these bright, vibrant paintings that recapture the beautiful landscape all around me. I began with a focus on landscapes and skyscapes, and it has developed into true love for re-capturing memories for people. I create commission paintings of Century and Heritage Farms. I bring farms that have been pushed over and are now covered in concrete back to life again for family mementos. I bring the dreams, hard-work and lives of our parents, grandparents & great-grandparents back in a fascinating, up-beat statement piece sort of a way. I recapture your childhood memories.
My two favorite things to paint from are photos of bright sunrises/sunsets & photos of a memory that a client wants to bring back to life. I create a lot of paintings with farms and old buildings, but I also have a love for all skies, silhouettes and landscapes. I’ve re-created front driveways, flower gardens, special sunsets, breath-taking hikes, and even a wedding proposal on Lake Michigan.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is watching someone connect to my work. Watching it spark memories in their eyes and bring joy into their hearts. When I was first starting out, I didn’t even know that was possible with landscape paintings, but man, once I saw and felt the connection that first time, it has been an addiction ever since!
Most of my large paintings take me months to create, so there is a lot of time, determination, and energy that goes into them. There is absolutely nothing more rewarding than watching someone fall in love with a piece that I’ve poured my heart and soul into and knowing it’s going to create happiness for them every day.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The first collection of paintings that I created as a full-time artist were all four-feet wide and bigger. I loved, loved, loved painting these big statement pieces. Imagine my surprise when I learned that not everyone has space for something that big! I was sitting here thinking (based on homes in my area) that everyone has wall space. WRONG!!
It was honestly an easy pivot to make, but not a fun lesson to learn that first year. I quickly adapted and jumped into an array of sizes and started painting anywhere from 12-inches wide and up.
Running a business is all about adaptation and change and pivoting along the way. It’s what keeps life interesting and also keeps us learning (even in the art world). You also need to remember to play around and have fun while adjusting! Find your spot in this beautiful world.
My most recent change was in 2023. I launched a series of miniature, 4-inch wide paintings and they have become an obsession. A past version of myself never would have imagined painting this small and loving it. These miniatures were a leap of faith for me, and they ended up being so popular that I couldn’t keep them in stock. This year, I am focused on creating a larger collection of miniatures alongside some wonderful large commission paintings that clients have booked including a farm (that no longer exists) and a vineyard!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JennaLueckArt.com
- Instagram: @JennaLueckArt
- Facebook: @JennaLueckArt
Image Credits
Photo of Jenna Lueck by Captured by Corbin Photography.