In this artist spotlight, we dive into the winding journey of Jennifer Allevato who never imagined her childhood dream could become a reality. From studying psychology and nearly applying to law school to exploring costume design and rediscovering painting, her path was anything but linear. Through years of creative exploration, self-trust, and persistence, she found her voice in acrylics and mixed media — ultimately building a successful career as a full-time artist. She shares the obstacles she overcame, her daily creative rituals, and the full-circle moment that affirmed her place in the art world.
Yes and no. I wanted to be an artist the same way little kids say they want to be a princess or a superhero – it sounded amazing, but I didn’t think it was an actual
option.
After starting college as a Psych major, then declaring a double major with studio art, I finally just focused on oil painting and drawing by senior year. My next “almost” career was law school (I was thisclose
to applying during the law school bubble of the mid-2000s). I then started an MFA program in oil painting, but quit after a year when it was clear the entire point of the program was pushing us into academia. No other option for an art career was even presented (this was pre-social media and even pre-Etsy). I have never felt a call to teach, so even with the prospect of a guaranteed income I knew deep down it wasn’t right for me.
A year later, I enrolled in an MFA program for costume design for theatre and film as it had a more direct career path attached. I enjoyed it and learned a lot (it’s where I was introduced to and fell in love with acrylics), but after 3 years of intense school and a year of working professionally in theatre with 12-14+ hour work days, this introvert was completely burnt out. All I wanted was to work on my own creative projects.
I eventually got a day job, opened an Etsy shop, and tried to learn as much as possible about running a creative business. It took several more years, but I finally was able to work full-time as an artist, right as Instagram was starting to be used for marketing rather than just a photo-editing app. It’s still weird to think of myself as a “small business owner,” as that was never the goal: I just wanted to paint!
I think it was just trusting myself again. After I quit my first grad school and ended my journey with oil painting, I didn’t believe that I had kept up with the Art World enough to be an artist. While costume renderings (the costume and character design of each character in a show) can be very artistic (Desmond Heeley’s renderings were always my favorite), it’s a much different process than creating a work of art for yourself or for a gallery with the intention to sell.
Post working in theatre, my personal art projects began as embroideries and then collage/mixed media pieces; I slowly moved onto watercolors, followed finally by acrylic painting. It took several years of building back up that experience to gain enough confidence and growth in my work to start applying to juried art shows and selling my paintings. My second year of working full-time as an artist, I was accepted into a regional juried art show. At the opening reception, I discovered that a professor from my first oil painting
MFA program also had a piece in the same show. That full-circle moment gave me a huge confidence boost. The first time I sold a “large” painting (30x30”) through a gallery about a year later, I truly felt like an artist. That was 10 years ago! There is no trick other than to just put in the work and keep creating.
I start my mornings with a homemade iced vanilla almond milk latte and sit in my favorite chair while I do Wordle and Connections on my phone. I do not rise and grind; I rise and slowly melt awake.
Luckily my studio is in my home, so this makes the melting process much gentler.
I know they say to do your most important work first, but my brain does not allow that. If I have any outstanding administrative tasks I need to get done – responding to emails, social media posts, newsletter creation, etc. – I have to get that finished and out of the way so my brain can relax for creative work (which, as an artist, is my most important work). I then try to be good about doing my morning pages, and I usually start creative work after lunch.
I worked through The Artist’s Way
last year and was resistant toward the idea of morning pages at first: I refuse to wake up early just to write. However, I found that as long as I do them before I begin my creative work, they have the same effect for me of clearing out my head and finding focus.
Depending on what I’m doing, I either listen to music, a podcast, or work in silence. (I love audiobooks, but I keep them for less creative work, like printing or packaging orders).
Music can really get me out of my head and in the zone. A few years ago I created an entire collection of work while listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours
album over and over! My taste varies greatly, from classic rock, to 90s pop and R&B, to 2000s-2010s indie rock and pop punk, to most of Taylor Swift’s catalog. And then… I just dive in until I lose my light in the evening. If I feel truly blocked, I will take a walk outside, visit a gallery or museum, write, collage, or watch an art documentary (Waldemar Januszczak’s always surprise and delight).
I studied oil painting in college, but when I was in grad school for costume design, I had to learn to create many costume renderings quickly. A show might need anywhere from 20-100 renderings in just a week or two! (It was a luxury to have a month, and that still included all the research time). I took a class in watercolors and one in sumi-e style ink. Both were fun, but I found a true kinship when I learned acrylics. It took a while to get used to the rapid drying time, but through working quickly, using slow-dry mediums, and finding different ways to layer color, I truly found my niche.
I now work with acrylics, Flashe vinyl paint, and mixed media incorporating graphite, neocolor wax pastels, and even occasionally paper into my pieces.
Jennifer’s work invites you into vibrant, joyful scenes and moments of serenity — see her latest pieces at our March 21st show. Join Jennifer’s Presale List
for exclusive early access!
