Meet Jennie Tucker | Professional Live Event Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennie Tucker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
For the past 10 years, I have worked as a professional live event painter, traveling to and painting at some of the most luxurious and beautiful venues across the nation. Along the way, I’ve met incredibly interesting and amazing people. To say I am “living my dream” is an understatement. However, this didn’t happen overnight; it required taking significant risks. In 2012, I served as a corps member with Teach for America in South Carolina. I was placed in a struggling school in a predominantly minority area, where all my students came from challenging family situations. Through that experience, I learned the value of endurance and perseverance in the face of job-related difficulties. Teach for America and the lessons I learned there played a crucial role in propelling me into entrepreneurship. Starting a business involves frequent failure, but it is through these failures that we learn our most valuable lessons. Every time I faced setbacks, I used those experiences to grow and improve for the future. My failures have ultimately become my greatest teachers.
Now, 10 years into my business, I am expanding by adding four new artists to my team. As someone who has never managed others before, this is a significant risk. But growth comes from embracing the possibility of failure. When we encounter low points, we must choose between giving up or persevering, knowing that success lies on the other side of our struggles.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an impressionist by trade, much like Monet, and I prefer painting from life. Once a painting is finished, it is rarely revisited. I experience life through my art, with my senses responding to the colors, light, and movement before me. My work captures the dynamic interplay of shadows and light, the fluidity of a dancing dress, and the emotions of the room, rather than relying on photographs or studio still lifes.
In Monet’s time, French impressionists were often scorned for their style. The audiences of that era did not appreciate paintings created quickly and with less detail compared to the meticulous oil portraits that took weeks or months to complete. Today, however, Monet’s works sell for millions of dollars, reflecting their value far beyond monetary terms. The 19th-century French Impressionist movement sparked a revolution in painting that continues to influence and inspire me. Even now, many people still struggle to see the value in a painting completed in just six hours. However, I have found that there are many who do appreciate this approach, and I have built my business around that passion and artistic preference.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a foodie who loves the outdoors, so I would take my best friend to all my favorite spots. We would start our days with coffee at places like Steam, Corvus, and Mango Tree. For breakfast, we would head to Snooze or The Universal—banana pancakes and eggs are my favorites! For lunch, I would treat them to Snarfs for a great Italian sandwich, Denver Central Market in RiNo for brick oven pizza, or Curtis Park Deli for the best sandwiches in the city. Dinner would be a culinary adventure, with visits to Restaurant Olivia, Bruto, Tavernetta, and my suburban favorite, Sierra. We would hike daily in Deer Creek Canyon, Table Mountain, or the foothills of Boulder. I would also show them the beautiful parks in Denver, such as Wash Park, City Park, and Sloan’s Lake. There is so much to do in Denver! We could shop in Cherry Creek, explore small boutiques on Pearl Street, or watch planes take off from the Perfect Landing at Centennial Airport. I simply do not know where to start!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my mentors during Teach for America, TJ and Rees Johnston – they encouraged me in my Christian faith and believed in me when I was wrestling and struggling through one of the hardest seasons in my life!
I want to shout out my friends and family, who always believed in me and bought paintings when no one else would. They always reminded me I was never alone!
My husband, Ashton, has been my biggest support – he is my rock and always there for me when I have hard days. He sees me at my worst and still loves me!

Website: https://www.jennielouart.com

Instagram: @jennielouart

Linkedin: Jennie Pitts Tucker

Facebook: https://facebook.com/jennielouart