About Jess
Jess Franks is known for vibrant acrylic paintings that dance the line between realistic and abstract. Her work relishes the influences of post-impressionism and fauvism, as seen in her fearless brushstrokes and color choices. Her favorite subjects to paint include Maine and New England, national parks, lake islands, layered mountains, and woodland streams. She’s a hiker who paints and a painter who hikes—they feed each other. When she’s hiking, she sees future paintings around every corner. When she finishes a series of paintings, she’s immediately researching her next hike.
As a former magazine graphic designer by trade (including work for Greenville Magazine, South Carolina Magazine, and Mechanical Engineering Magazine), Jess has spent countless hours on her computer poring over photography. A decade ago she discovered that painting not only allows her to delve back into a more tactile world, but also to create scenes in radical colors that no photo could capture. She uses the familiar structures of the natural world around her to explore new palettes, resulting in paintings that are at once both unexpected yet accessible. She now maintains a full-time art studio, creating multiple collections a year.
Jess has also spent much of her time researching how social media and online commerce can create communities and sustain artists through untraditional avenues. She has found an incredibly interactive art-collecting community on Instagram and uses that platform as her primary location for studio updates and shop news. Her prints are sold at WestElm, Greenbox, Anthropologie, World Market, and Minted, where she has won multiple contests. For a more extensive list of collaborations and retailers, visit her stockists page.
She lives with her husband and brood of children in New England.
“…she sees future paintings around every corner.”
In the Media
Recent features of Jess’s work.
All media inquiries can be directed to Jess’s contact form.
Articles
House Beautiful, Cover, November/December 2024
Better Homes and Gardens, October 2024
McDonald’s Canada Ad Campaign, Calgary Stampede
The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Spring 2022, “What a View”
CNN “‘Friluftsliv’ is trending: Here’s what to know about the latest interior design craze”
CNN “Where to buy art that will instantly brighten up your place”
Benjamin Moore’s At Home Magazine “The Call of the Artist”
Emily Henderson “Our New Favorite Large-Scale Art Solution”
Apartment Therapy’s 2021 Pattern of the Year
Good Housekeeping Magazine feat. “Out to Sea”
Home Glow Design’s Saturday Blog “Jess Franks, Floral & Landscape Artist and Instagram Sensation”
Contest Wins
3rd Place “Brushwork: Fine Art Painting Challenge"
3rd Place “Creative License: All Media Fine Art Challenge"
2nd Place “Better Together: Pairs and Sets Fine Art Challenge”
3rd Place “Paintings, Drawings, & Mixed Media Fine Art Challenge”
1st Place “Pairs and Sets Challenge”
Minted Fine Artist of the Year 2021
For the artist who pushes the boundaries of art and creates innovative artwork that is unique and unlike anything seen before. This artist stays true to their own vision and shapes and inspires the world of art. Their substantial body of work sets the bar for creative excellence.
2nd Place “Art at Scale: Large Format Art Challenge”
1st Place “A New Perspective: Minted x West Elm 6th Art Challenge”
1st Place “Fabric Frenzy Challenge”
1st Place “Minted x West Elm Art on the Big Stage”
2nd Place “Minted x West Elm Round 4 Art Challenge”
3rd Place “Minted x Domino Round 2 Art Challenge”
Television
HGTV’s Love It or List It: Season 18, Episode 10
Apple TV’s The Morning Show: Season 2, Episode 2
Fox’s 9-1-1: Season 4, Episode 3
About the Studio, or “Shudio”
In 2020, Jess was able to invest in a separate studio building. Needing lots of wall space, light, ventilation, proximity to home and car, and room to store and ship, she decided to purchase a 12x24’ shed from Kloter Farms. The shed arrived fully fabricated on a truck bed 6 weeks later (and should she ever need to move, the shed can go back on a truck and move with her). Then her contractor, VB Construction, outfitted the interior with insulation, roof venting, paneling, plywood, electric, and shelving, among other things. Once complete, Jess painted the interior, and decorated using mostly items she had already collected, resulting in a style she likes to call “Heirloom Chic.” Her great grandmother’s paint palette looks right at home next to her grandfather’s butcher block, which was repurposed into a desk by attaching it to an old bookcase and adding wheels. Her grandma’s collection of owl figurines dot the room, as do items Jess inherited from her other grandma, such as a plump vintage kitty. Looking one direction, you get the clean white walls of a gallery, and looking the other, you feel like you’ve been transported to a New England cabin. It’s the best of both worlds. Click on an image below to open up a lightbox for scrolling through.
Latest from the Studio
Below are the latest images from Jess's Instagram. She actively uses this platform to post studio news, show her process, and interact with collectors.
Are you an artist looking to make your own prints? Jess recommends this course.