We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenn de Groot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenn, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
My goal is to manifest a fully-fledged career as a professional muralist and artist. I want to travel to idyllic destinations and draw the landscapes that lie before me, as well as collaborate with international mural teams to beautify public spaces and teach people how to paint murals around the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I moved to Colorado in 2015 to climb mountains and explore the backcountry. Unfortunately, just a few months in to my time here, I fell ill with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. And while I am extremely lucky to have regained my health, my recovery was a long and arduous process. I lost a ton of muscle mass while I was sick as well as all confidence in my ability as an outdoorswoman. It took months before I was cleared for minimal activity, and then from there, it took at least another year to rebuild the physical and mental strength I would need to succeed in the backcountry again. As I rebuilt my strength, I drew the places I wanted to visit, starting with the Spanish Peaks. West Spanish Peak was the last mountain I had climbed before I got sick and so it acted as a north star for my recovery. Other mountains I drew during that time were Tava (Pikes Peak), the Tetons, and Long’s Peak. That time of rest gave me the space I needed to develop my style as a landscape artist, so I am grateful for it, even though it was the result of something frightening and unexpected.

Now that I am fully recovered, I am having the time of my life rock climbing, mountain climbing, and especially drawing these beautiful landscapes on-location. There is hardly a weekend when I am not spending my time outdoors. I don’t have to look at those mountains on my computer anymore – I can go out and experience them in person, draw them in person, and then bring those drawings home to Pueblo to share with my loved ones.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Pueblo, Colorado has so much to offer, especially if you are into cute local gems and beautiful public art. If I had a friend to visit, I would take them to the B Street Cafe for breakfast, and then walk down the street to my friend Caitlin’s plant shop (SoCo Organics) to buy friendship plants for each other. Then I would take them to the riverpath at the Kayak Park and show them the new murals that are going up on the Arkansas River Levee. I’d also want to take them for a hike at the Pueblo Mountain Park, go out on the reservoir on paddleboards, and go for a dip in the river near the Nature Center. Oh – and thrifting! We would totally go thrift shopping at my friend Jenny’s shop, The Drip. which is conveniently close to Studio Share Yoga, which I would also take them to. It would be a packed week for sure, but that’s just because there is so much to experience in this cute little city!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Here in Pueblo, Colorado, we have a boutique textile shop called Artisan Textile Company. It was started by Ina Bernard and Donna Graham in 2015 with the mission to provide Pueblo with sustainable, local, handmade artisanal products. They took me in as a 2-dimensional artist even though the shop primarily sells textile products. Ina has provided me with stellar mentorship for my breadth of design and Donna has taught me how to price and value my work. We have developed such meaningful relationships, and I deeply appreciate the support I’ve received from them. It truly launched me forward into my career as a recognized painter and muralist.

Website: http://jenndegroot4.wixsite.com/jaybirdsdesigns

Instagram: @jaybirdsdesigns

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-de-groot-3b580588/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaybirdsdesigns/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwqQCGxU3Gc

Image Credits
The two photos of me painting my mural, wearing a black shirt and a green hat, are by Jerod Young.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.