From Layoff to Full-Time Artist: Celebrating Eight Years of Jenny Paints By Hand

Yesterday my kids and I celebrated eight years of Jenny Paints By Hand in the best way possible: with cupcakes.

Eight years ago this week, life looked very different. I was getting ready to head back to work after maternity leave with a newborn and a three-year-old at home. My husband had been laid off a few months prior. And that first weekend in August 2018, while we were splashing in the pool enjoying a quick trip before I would return to work, I got a call telling me that I was being laid off too.

Needless to say... that wasn't exactly the five-year plan.

I put a few watercolor sketches on Etsy, hoping maybe someone out there would like them enough to place an order. I never imagined that little experiment would grow into a full-time business.

Today, I'm a mom of three who gets to spend my days painting the homes, restaurants, schools, wedding venues, meaningful people and places that tell your stories. It's a career I never planned, but one I'm incredibly grateful for every single day.

None of it would have happened without this amazing community. Whether you've commissioned a painting, shared one of my posts, recommended my work to a friend, or simply followed along over the years, you've played a part in helping this little business grow.

Thank you for supporting my family, cheering me on, and making it possible for me to do what I love.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there are still a few cupcakes left. It would be a shame to let them go to waste. 😉

Learn more about the artist and Jenny Paints By Hand ➜