Jennifer Counts
Abingdon, Va - United States
Jennifer Counts - Fine Artist
Member Since: 01/30/2013
Growing up as an Abingdon Virginia native, Jennifer Counts was immersed in the arts and culture of the southern Appalachian region at an early age. She credits her inherent inspiration from nature and her creative ingenuity to her Cherokee roots. Now, using any and all artistic media to express herself, Jennifer is forging her own path as a working artist in the region. Whether it’s painting, mixed media, photography, sculpture, or jewelry, her vision is never compromised. Jennifer has studied 2-D design, drawing and oil painting with artist Sam Morrow, sculpture with Val Lyle, watercolor with Janice Miller, and photography with Debbie Whited at VHCC. Jennifer utilizes the varied types of media and techniques in her 2-D work, primarily working with acrylics and pastels.
As a self-taught jewelry artist, she has started her own company, Grass Roots Artisan Jewelry, where she designs unique pieces of wearable art by forging and raising various metals, wood-burning, and creating handcrafted components from wood, polymer clay or found objects. Her jewelry has been juried into Heartwood, Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway in Abingdon, Virginia. She is a member of Round the Mountain Artisan Network and her work, both painting and jewelry, can be found in many galleries and shops around the region. From 2010-2012, Jennifer Counts worked as a studio artist at the William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia. She was selected in 2011, by the museum to serve on a jury panel for the Panoramic Gallery exhibitions. Jennifer is currently working in her new loft studio on Main Street in downtown Abingdon, VA.
In the last several years, Jennifer has had work published in Ampersand Magazine, published by Emory & Henry College and has been juried into The Virginia Highlands Art Gallery Annual Group Exhibition. Jennifer had a solo exhibit in 2011 at The Appalachian Spirit Gallery in Marion, Virginia and then again in 2012 at The House on Main in Abingdon, Virginia. Her works has also been exhibited in group exhibits, including but not limited to, a two person show entitled Inhibition Lost at the William King Museum, a group show entitled Twenty Two Women at Blue Windmill Galleries in Abingdon, Virginia, and a collaborative effort for a public art project entitled Who’s Afraid of Virginia’s Wolves, also in Abingdon Virginia.
