Cover Artist: Julia Gremillion

Jenny Gremillion is Overcoming Perfection

Written By: Erin Cowser

Photos By: Melissa G. Photography

When Jenny Gremillion sets her mind to something, she gets it done. A self-proclaimed recovering perfectionist, she can set and achieve goals like nobody’s business—except when it comes to art.

When she stands before a blank canvas, there are no expectations. No goals to accomplish. No objectives to meet. It’s utter freefall—a complete contrast for someone who typically clings to control.

This is how her creativity comes to life. And when it does, it’s a beautiful thing. Many things, in fact. Vibrant, complex, vivid, and beautiful things, which are so often a reflection of life, says the Covington artist, businesswoman, wife, and mother of three.

“I never know where a piece is going or how it will end, but once it lets me know it’s complete, I can often look into it and trace parallels with my life experiences,” Gremillion says.

Those life experiences stem from a childhood spent in Martin, a small town in northwestern Kentucky, when her only affiliation with art was painting her cheer squad’s banners in middle school. They reflect time earning a degree in business at the University of Memphis and then landing a coveted medical device sales position—a job that led her to meet her future husband. They also include the everyday challenges and joys of marriage and motherhood, as well as memories of visiting New York City to see a high school best friend.

Those trips to the Big Apple awakened an appreciation for the grit and glamour of city living. Cityscapes from other travels have also left an impression, often emerging in the abrasive yet smooth feel of her pieces with names like Palm Springs, Santa Monica, and City Lights.

“There’s an irrational juxtaposition of street graffiti and Chanel bags that somehow makes perfect sense,” Gremillion says. “I create abstracts and collages that often end up including text and letters. Sometimes there’s imagery involved. And sometimes you might find a page torn from Vogue layered upon spray paint. I never know where my art will take me.”

She does know, however, that her personal style carries forward influences from her grandmother. As the only granddaughter of Sue Bell, who had only sons, Gremillion shared a special bond with her “Mommom.”

Hints of this can be found in Gremillion’s avant-garde approach to art, which is both intuitive and authentic but also refined. She was immediately smitten with the intangible expression of emotion that abstract style presents. She began taking classes and learning from professional artists across the country. Drawn to abstract art, she knew she needed to refine her process, so she dove headfirst into the world of abstract art, exploring the works of countless artists online.

“If I found art that I loved, I wanted to learn from the artist,” she says. “The art community is so generous with its talent, with many artists offering in-person workshops and online classes. I want to soak it all up.”

Acclaimed artists like Amira Rahim, Zona Wainwright, Rob Szot, Michael Cutlip, and Aimee Seigel are among her mentors. They guided her growth as an artist, teaching her to incorporate mixed media, from acrylic paint and spray paint to charcoal and oil pastels. She’s also known to use acrylic ink, alcohol inks for splatter effects, and Krink graffiti markers when creating pieces with an urban vibe.

Although she seems at ease with her inner muse, that wasn’t always the case. Gremillion first found her artistic spark upon moving to the Northshore. When she and her husband moved across the lake, she assumed they’d adopt the more subdued palette of suburbia and leave behind the louder colors and artwork that graced the walls of their Warehouse District condo. But her husband resisted the drastic shift to a “dreamy neutral theme,” and together found a way to bring the bright colors from his “bachelor pad” days to live with them as they built a family.

As she searched for inspiration online, Gremillion discovered abstract art that took her breath away.

“I said to myself, ‘I want to create that!’” she recalls. And so, she did.

What began in a dusty garage corner moved to a converted bedroom studio, then to a climate-controlled studio/ workshop. As she continued to dive into her newfound passion, people began to pay attention. Personal posts online led to purchases. Just a few years later, she left the corporate world of medical device sales and began her career as an artist.

“I know it’s easy to look at abstract art and think a toddler could paint that,” she says with a laugh. “But, believe me, it’s much more challenging than you think.”

She describes beginning a new piece as “fun, yet absolutely terrifying.” Guided by her mentors, she learned to stretch her creative muscles and let go of control.

“It’s so different than representational art,” she says. “It’s not like looking at an apple and then painting it.”

Rather than using visual cues to represent reality, abstract artists enlist a constellation of shape, form, color, texture, lines and movement to make their impressions. Abstract painting has been described as the most difficult of all the arts. It requires the artist to own a keen awareness of context and colors, as well as a poetic sensibility.

Gremillion begins her process with what she describes as wild and gestural mark-making on the canvas to “activate” it. This is the part that demands courage. At times she has to walk away for weeks. “I won’t even set foot in the studio,” she says, adding that her creative process can take anywhere from six hours to six months for each work of art.

Eventually, the work reveals itself, and she proceeds. “I have to let the art tell its story,” she says.

Her process includes applying color theory, considering composition, and adding layers of imagery or text as needed. One thing leads to another, and words, imagery and themes sometimes emerge.

How does she know what to include?

“It just belongs there,” she says with a smile.

Much is the same for the role of art in her life these days. It just belongs there. Her search for ways to embrace bold colors coincided with the realization that her life was missing balance. She was restless. Life was becoming more and more stressful. She needed a creative outlet.

Having found hers in the solace of artmaking, she now feels compelled to help others find theirs.

“Women, especially over-achievers, tend to put so much of themselves into everyone and everything else,” she says, “that we often forget to give ourselves any attention.”

She encourages women to prioritize self-care and celebrate their accomplishments. “Looking back can help you realize all that you’ve truly achieved,” she says. “You can use that as motivation to move forward.”

These days, Gremillion juggles her thriving art practice, life coaching, and raising three daughters, each with unique creative talents.

“Art soothes my soul and has brought me happiness,” she says. “I can only hope my art and insights bring happiness to others as well.”