Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Chapman.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all starts with my upbringing – I grew up in a very artistic family in Minneapolis. My dad was an artist – known for painting “The Infamous 18 Golf Holes” paintings that were seen all over the world. What was so amazing about his art was that he was able to create photo realistic paintings in water colors – a hard medium, one which you can’t paint over your mistakes.. He was such an inspiration to me. Every Christmas, I would get a beautiful new paint set under the tree. I was always painting, that’s all I have ever done and I have been very lucky to make a living doing what I love.
When I got married, I moved to California where my musician husband was from. We had a son and daughter, it was wonderful ! An unexpected turn of events left me a single mom with no money… I needed to get a career going ASAP. It’s a bit of a blur as I was hustling. I would walk Girard street in La Jolla with a bag of my painted leather pillows, and one day I walked into a gorgeous high-end store called Studio Veneto. I showed the owner my work and she bought all of my pillows! That was big, I thought I may have something here…
I went into overdrive, stretching leather for lampshades, painting custom leather pillows with Fortuny fabrics and antique trims, painting large murals, portraits, just about anything I could paint. I never stopped working and hustling, trading my art for people in their craft to sew my pillows, while also being there for my children, ensuring a home made dinner was on the table every night with lots of love. My ex husband called BettyLou Phillips, the bestselling author/designer on French design, whose books I had all of. I had no idea he called her until that fateful day when she called me. When she introduced herself I had to sit down! He had told Betty that she needed to see my work, and she was so taken back by his request that she called me and asked if I would send her pictures overnight. The call I got back from her was a request to grace her books with my work. Our relationship carried on through four books and into a lovely friendship. That was a pivotal time for me, so many things happened.. including buying my first house when they were giving bad loans out to self-employed artists with no money!
I went from the incredible gift of getting my foot in the door to almost losing it… I wrote from my hospital bed after an emergency surgery to everyone that I thought could help me to stop the auction of my home. No one responded until senator Diane Feinstein’s lawyer calls me and says “we have a new loan modification for you, and we stopped the sale of your home”!! (Ok – if that isn’t divine intervention!)
I always have been so grateful and thankful for all the miracles that have so serendipitously come into my life! From great clients that have become great friends, to getting published in our great San Diego magazines, our newspaper, in Victoria Magazine and a coffee table book. It’s been a journey of ups and downs with plenty of gratitude and hope along the way.
My path has been full of crazy obstacles. I am in a different place now, where I don’t want the hustle – I want to paint for love, not necessity. A new chapter.
It’s definitely been a big rollercoaster ride, but I wouldn’t change a thing. If things had been different, I and even my son and daughter wouldn’t be who we are now. You grow with adversity, and it’s not bad if you can see the silver linings that come from it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most known for my portraits of people and animals. I added my one eyed rescue doggie’s portrait picture here, she’s just such a princess. My work ranges from landscapes to hand painted leather pillows, all creating in the old master trained style of painting. In addition to painting, I am an award winning Christmas tree designer and interior designer, featured in many of Victoria magazines publications (getting two of my trees in their top 10 of all time favorites). I love learning about my clients’ visions and working to bring them to life through my work.
My other great passion is antique treasure hunting, it’s the most fun. My mother was an antique collector and I learned so much from her when I was little. She would take me to old barns all around in Minnesota looking for old treasures – I love thrifting! Even my father bought a bulldozer to look for lost treasure in New Mexico! We are a family of hunters for beautiful things and that has shaped me and educated me more than school ever could for me.. I was not a good student… shy and dyslexic, but so were mom and dad. I loved my childhood, they were so much fun! But I’m really most proud of my amazing beautiful precious children. They’ve never spoken an unkind word, I am so lucky! 
I brag a lot about them.. I’m probably a bit obnoxious? I can’t help myself when I talk about my kids.. well I guess they’re not kids anymore …
What’s next?
Well, I hope to paint again as I have had a macular retinal detachment in my eye that has set me back. I hope to see right again to be able to once again paint in high detail. I have been putting my creative energy into different avenues, right now I’m building dioramas in the 18th century period, taking my bookcase and going back to childhood memories of the store windows of the iconic Daytons department stores Christmas windows, so magical ! I want to create magic on every shelf..
There are again some challenges, but always hopeful it will be okay.. it always is.
Pricing:
- Since I cover a wide range of services, please reach out for a quote for your project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jenniferchapmandesign.com
- Instagram: Jenniferchapmandesign
- Facebook: Jenniferchapmandesign
