Authors and Their Art

Meet Pulpwood Queen Author and Artist Jax Frey

I started my full time art career fifteen years ago on the day that I first sold the exact number of paintings I needed to make my expenses that month. I quit my sales job and went into business for myself full time that very day. It was a huge risk and I didn’t care one whit – I was so ready to spend my life creating art. Then at one point about ten years ago, I started to paint the first in a series of paintings I called the Gumbeaux Sistahs. To me they were a group of southern women who are all about loving, respecting, and supporting each other all while having more fun than anyone else. But then, a few years ago, the women in the paintings, the Gumbeaux Sistahs, began to remind me of friends that I have – friends who are crazy, kind, and supportive of each other. Friends that I love. The Sistahs started to suggest stories to me and seemed to have something to say. I decided to give them their voices. Every day, I’d sneak out of my studio for an hour or so and The Gumbeaux Sistahs novels were born. On Oct. 5, 2018, I launched the first book, The Gumbeaux Sistahs, and put the girls out into the world – and, delightfully, the world seems to like them. In 2019, I launched book two, Gumbeaux Love and in October of 2021, book three is due out and called Gumbeaux Magic.

So looking back on my art and writing life I find it interesting to see how one thing led to another like stepping stones:

- My former sales career led to me being able to create and sell my own paintings.

-The paintings themselves led me to create The Gumbeaux Sistahs novels.

-The Gumbeaux Sistahs novels led to creating more paintings which became Gumbeaux Sistahs cover art.

I am convinced there are more stepping stones to come and I can’t wait to see what happens. In the meantime, get your Gumbeaux on! Jax Frey