Jennifer Small is an abstract painter whose work is about elevating the everyday to express appreciation for the wonder of the ordinary. She is a Pennsylvania native who received her BFA in Painting and BS in Art Education from Millersville University and an MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design.

She has exhibited her work in galleries and fairs in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York, Richmond, Raleigh, Columbus, Savannah, and Chicago. Media features have included Artist Talk Magazine, Art Seen Magazine, New American Paintings, Studio Visit Magazine, Studio Break Podcast, and Shockoe Artspeak Podcast. She now works as both a painter and visual designer in Wilmington, Delaware.

Artist Statement

My art, initially abstract in appearance, records a journey of a day in the life—a practice that starts with documentation through the lens of a camera. I see my experiences through special goggles with the ability to transform banal spaces and objects into engaging formal elements that are pulled out of their environment and placed into my painting compositions strictly for their aesthetic significance.

The process of cataloging my everyday leads to the solidification of my memories in a specific time and place and provides constant access to a breadth of inspiration for my paintings. New inspiration comes out of each new environment I experience, whether as a resident or a visitor, allowing the work to be an ever-evolving documentation of my days.

The work demonstrates loose, painterly applications juxtaposed with more rigid, hard-edge areas of the acrylic paint and spray paint that I use. While the palette is imagined, each painting is an archive of a time and place connected to a personal experience.

I want to challenge the viewer to see the work as personal yet universal. A compilation of my experiences, but also a way to connect with abstract painting in a tangible way. I want to elevate the humble from unnoticed and small to colorful and grand by putting a spotlight on the unrecognized poetry of daily routine.