Sarasota, Florida · the studio behind the house
Hi, I'm Jennifer.
I paint a background, cut paper by hand for weeks, and layer it into coastal scenes that make people smile. Then I hang it all under a white tent, nearly every weekend from November to April.
Early BirdSee the piece →
Juicy FruitSee the piece →
Moon JellySee the piece →
Peace PetalsSee the piece →
Color Me CaughtSee the piece →
OctaviaSee the piece →
Everything is RoseySee the piece →
The artist
A gallery director's eye, an artist's hands.
- Born
- Houston, Texas, 1967
- Trained
- BFA, University of Colorado · painting in Florence
- Galleries
- San Francisco to Austin, a decade directing
- PeckArts
- Ten years running her own gallery in Texas
- Now
- The studio behind the house, Sarasota
- Season
- The booth, nearly every weekend, Nov–Apr
Jennifer Peck (b. 1967 Houston, Tx.) is a mixed media artist who constructs intricately detailed multilayered works of art, mostly out of paint and paper, with an array of other dimensional materials. Her love for coastal life inspired a recent move from Texas to the shores of Sarasota, Florida where the Gulf Coast’s beaches provide fresh inspiration. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado, followed by an adventurous career directing galleries from San Francisco to Austin, she’s been exposed to an immense amount of art and ever since she has been experimenting to develop work that is authentic and unique.
After ten years operating PeckArts gallery in Texas, she’s prioritized the creative side of an artist's life, and now creates in her home studio. She exhibits her work in the best juried fine art fairs surrounding the Florida Coast. Jennifer has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Texas and Florida, and is in private and public collections across the United States. Her joyful mixed media works are filled with stunning colors, fascinating textures, and playful whimsy. They celebrate the beauty of coastal living and tell a story of life at the beach!
In her words
I love being outdoors! Observing birds, palms, flowers, and life along the coast is where the seeds of all my ideas originate, of which there are many! I have always been in awe of the ocean; its timelessness, energy, and simplicity. By the sea and under bright skies is when I feel most alive and inspired. To embrace that feeling and then express it in the studio is my intention. Each piece I create starts with a painted background. The carefully selected papers are ripped or hand-cut, then layered and collaged. This labor-intensive process involves constructing pieces with a variety of unique papers I've collected throughout my life.
How it's made
Paint, then paper, then patience.
Paint the ground
Every piece starts as a painted background.
Cut by hand
Hundreds of shapes, ripped or cut, from papers collected over a lifetime.
Layer and collage
Text, small pictures, threads of metallic paper that catch the light.
Let it read in person
The edges cast real shadows. Prints keep the raised texture, no glass needed.
- Made by hand — hundreds of cut shapes over painted colour
- Signed & numbered editions of 125
- Raised, textured finish — no glass needed, ready to hang
Around the studio
Jennifer, most days.
The worktable, the beach path, the trailer, the tent — a few from her phone.
The team
And Steve.
You’ll always see Steve supporting me at the shows, we’ve been a hardworking team for many years. He’s the guy behind the scenes at the art shows making it all happen. He drives the truck and pulls the trailer, sets up the tent and the walls, and even hangs the art; basically, he does all the hard lifting! When we're not showing he stays busy packaging and shipping your pieces, and he’s available to help with all kinds of customers' needs. Steve’s the one that takes the brunt of the effects of my late nights or hard days in the studio, but he always offers perspective and support. He’s authentically appreciative and excited about my work and gives me the space to do it.
November through April
Nearly every weekend, the whole booth is out under a white tent somewhere in Florida.
See the artwork in person
The texture reads best in person. Bring a photo of your wall and we'll talk sizes right there at the tent.
The record
Thirty years around serious art.
Education
5
- University of Colorado, Boulder, Bachelor of Fine Arts: Art History, Drawing and Painting
- Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici, Florence, Italy: Painting, Drawing, Art History
- Fort Mason Center for the Arts, San Francisco: Ceramic Sculpture and Painting
- Houston Museum of Fine Arts Glassell School: Mixed Media
- Recidencies with Merry Calderoni and Dee Roper at Fabrica la Aurora, San Miguel De Allende,Mexico
Exhibits & solo shows
9
- The Big Show, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida
- The Celery Barn Studios at Towles Court, Sarasota, Florida
- Women Contemporary Artists of Sarasota-Long Boat Key Center for the Arts
- Amantea Gallery, Marco Island, Florida
- Focus Gallery, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- Key West Light Gallery, Key West, Florida
- Felder Gallery, Port Aransas, Texas
- West End Gallery, Galveston, Texas
- J. Bangle Gallery, Galveston, Texas
Corporate collections
6
- Hampton Inn and Suites - Clearwater, FL
- Gulf Coast Medical Center - Fort Myers, FL
- Lee Medical Center - Fort Myers, FL.
- Cranes Hotel and Beach Houses - Delray, FL
- University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital - Galveston, TX
- Moody Historical Foundation, City of Galveston, Galveston Island Park Board, Texas
A decade directing galleries
3
- Director: Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco/New York/St. Helena
- Director: Gremillion & Company Fine Art, Austin/Houston
- Art Consulting: Castaldo Fine Art & Nextmonet.com, San Francisco, The Russell Collection & ME Television, Austin
The studio
Just behind the house, always mid-piece.
The studio sits right behind the house in Sarasota — close enough that a good idea never has to wait until morning. It's where backgrounds get painted, papers get sorted into colour families, and finished pieces rest before their next show.
In her words
Through the paper, I can offer attention to detail with a playful twist.
The paper often contains text or small pictures that provide something thought-provoking, and threads of metallic papers that shine add life to the pieces. I regularly hear that my work makes people happy, and it gives me such satisfaction to be the conduit of that emotion for them.
The best part of being an artist is that I feel like I can give back to life, through my work, by spreading joy to the people who view it. I hope my pieces ignite your sense of adventure and wonder of the sea, and that every home in which they hang is filled with peace and happiness.
Next steps