Jen G
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jeng-art.bsky.social
Jen G
@jeng-art.bsky.social
1.8K followers 760 following 610 posts
Visual artist focusing on contexts and connections.

Comfort the disturbed
Disturb the comfortable

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💛Weird human stuff💛
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jeng-art.bsky.social
Jen G @jeng-art.bsky.social · Feb 3
Hi! My name is Jen G and I’m a truly multidisciplinary artist. From this mural in Iowa City, to small prints and assemblages, to performance art in JOY parades, my creative expression does not fit into easy categories.
I enjoy convos and safe community that emboldens authenticity.
Ally 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
#artist
A smiling woman standing in front of a building with a cloud mural created from community silhouettes.
jeng-art.bsky.social
Renee Good, rest in peace 🕊️

I can’t stop thinking about her, her son, her partner, her mother, her city, her last few moments. Putting those thoughts into art, is something I can do.
Watercolor, 9”x 12”

#FuckICE #GOOD #art #watercolor #BlueSkyArt
A watercolor sketch by Jen Gauerke, of Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by an ICE agent in Minneapolis today, 1/7/26. A woman with curly blond hair, with the word “GOOD” in blue at the bottom. An ink sketch by Jen Gauerke of Renee Nicole Good.
January 8, 2026 at 4:43 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
#pet for #Januarty
Tonight the dog had the stinkiest farts, like someone fed her raw cauliflower 🤢
Thank god for incense and scented candles! This portrait of her was painted several years ago.
A painting by Jen Gauerke of her pet, a Tibetan Mastiff
January 5, 2026 at 6:19 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Two works in progress, one is 8”x 8”, the other 48”x 60”
Can you tell which one is smaller?
The difference in creating them is like the difference between cardio and strength training, difficult in different ways.
#artprocess #art #BlueSkyArt #nature
A painting in progress by Jen Gauerke, of a redwood forest. A drawing in progress by Jen Gauerke, of a flower in white ink on black paper.
January 5, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Reposted by Jen G
mlobelart.bsky.social
Elizabeth Catlett & Alberto Beltrán, Untitled (Composition for a Peace Poster), c. 1950 www.artic.edu/artworks/222...
Printed image of a group of people, including mother & child, below, with an outsized hand above reaching out to stop a cluster of bayonets
January 3, 2026 at 10:11 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Abstract Hill
watercolor

First painting of 2026!

#art #painting #BlueSkyArtShow #watercolor
A watercolor painting by Jen Gauerke. Green amorphous blob with a blue background. Could be a hill, could be a monster, could be a mound of moss. Final A watercolor painting by Jen Gauerke. Green amorphous blob with a blue background. Could be a hill, could be a monster, could be a mound of moss. In progress The beginning of a watercolor painting by Jen Gauerke. A blue background with large white area with some watercolor pencil stribbles. Could be a hill, could be a monster, could be a mound of moss.
January 2, 2026 at 12:11 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Subconscious Self Portrait
9”x 12”
Ink and colored pencil

#Selfportrait #surreal #drawing
A surreal figure (abstracted and strange) in black and white in front of a colorful surreal landscape of desert dunes, purple mountains and a brokedown palace.
December 30, 2025 at 11:33 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Waves with Spiderweb moon
Fun experimenting with black backgrounds! Black paper sketchbook with acrylics.
What’s the new hashtag now that #artadventcalendar is over? #BlueSkyArtShow #painting #create #analog
Black background with yellow acrylic paint depicting waves depicted with line design. Yellow moon with a spiderweb encircling. Added a bit of blue colored pencil to the sky for texture.
December 27, 2025 at 6:26 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
College Adventures
16”x 20”
Acrylics
Gifted to a happy loved one
#artadventcalendar #painting #night #blackgesso
Completed painting: man lying face down in the grass looking at his phone, while a girl stands over him, mouth agape, pointing at him.
December 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Current work in progress
which is a gift for my step daughter, a memento of her college hijinks. Working from black gesso is a good way to exercise the brain. Check back later for the finished work!
#artadventcalendar #painting #night #black #process #analog
On a black background two figures are emerging, one stooping over the other figure lying face down on the ground. They’re searching for a lost phone in a field at night, with phones, pic taken with a phone.
December 24, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Jen G
tomsbrown.bsky.social
Midwinter witches for you.
A border of twisted trees and witches. Pencil drawing with colour added digitally.
December 24, 2025 at 9:49 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Imagine How We Thrive Survive

#artadventcalendar #2025 #painting #analog
A colorful abstract painting with black ink lines bubble/scale-like. With the words “Imagine how we thrive survive” in select bubbles.
December 23, 2025 at 6:32 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Happy Solstice!
Wishing you a restful dark night and hopeful morning. We get through this together!
A water sunset painting by Jen Gauerke. Includes gold leaf and fluorescent pink! The painting now hangs in my office at work, above a velvet green sofa on a dark grey wall.
December 22, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by Jen G
shibui-shashin.bsky.social
Looking up in the breathtaking gothic new Cathedral of Salamanca - Salamanca, Spain

#gothic #salamanca #cathedral #alphabetChallenge #WeekYforYearPast #stunday #classicMono
December 21, 2025 at 10:53 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Lineage in the Snow
short video

My artwork, Lineage is so beautiful in the snow. As I recorded, fences and shadows of fences kept getting in the way. Fitting symbolism for a person with a uterus seeking freedom in this world.

December 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Watercolor Story 1-3

#artadventcalendar #artyear #art #Blueskyart #abstract #gouache #painting
The first page of the story, mostly whit background with drawn swirls and circles. Blue around the circles, waves of purple and blue. Page 2, a black and grey wave emerges with orange and yellows opposing. Page 3 - purples added to the sky, a distant small sun at the top, with orange red waves above the black one. An integrated whole, not a battle.
December 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Keep Livin
Wheatpaste poster at Saint Laborious skate park (former church) in St Louis, MO, which burned to the ground a few years ago. It was such a cool place.
#artadventcalendar #artyear #BlueSkyArt #wheatpaste #graffiti #art #streetart #StLaborious
A wheatpaste poster by Jen Gauerke 2021, dark blue background, orange letters spell out “KEEP LIVIN” in the foreground is a green mask covering nose and mouth, with green eyes. The KEEP LIVIN poster in situ, surrounded by graffiti art.
December 11, 2025 at 4:33 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
This is one from the deep archives. When I so wanted to be a good artist but didn’t have the time or mental clarity to devote. I’d have one day free and blast something out just so I could stay connected to myself and all that art is to me.
Acrylics painting by Jen Gauerke of a white building with domed red roof, stylized clouds in a blue sky
December 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
‘Champion’ and
‘Modeling’ (3rd place)
on exhibit at Mainframe Arts in Des Moines, Iowa, 2025.
#art #collage #analog #vintage #ephemera #paper #acrylics #painting #photography #exhibit #artist #artadventcalendar #artyear
Two artworks in black frames hang on a bright green wall, one above the other. The lower artwork by Jen Gauerke is entitled Modeling and shows a girl watching her mother hold a baby, clouds swirling around her head and onto the frame. There are spots of yellow and orange around the body of the girl, around the head of the mother with advertising images around her head. A bassinet sits in the foreground with blue and pink ruffles (indicating identity creation starts at birth when genitals are seen and we’re told who we should be.) This won third place! On the wall next to the artworks: JEN GAUERKE CHAMPION COLLAGE, ACRYLICS 18X24 x3” 2023 $450 jendoop@gmail.com JEN GAUERKE MODELING COLLAGE, ACRYLICS 22x26x2” 2022 $600 jendoop@gmail.com THIRD PLACE Recognizes a notable work of art that stands out for its qualty, creativity, or unique perspective within the exhibition.
December 8, 2025 at 3:19 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Altar to Existential Joy
Dualities Exhibit at Mainframe Arts
Des Moines, Iowa.
Viewers are invited to leave objects of devotion at the altar and many have participated.
Artists Jen Gauerke and Steve Hosch are high fiving above their collaborative artwork - Altar to Existential Joy Detail of Altar to Existential Joy, showing the offerings left. There are a few coins, fortune cookie fortunes, dried Queen Anne’s Lace blossoms, small plastic animals, an In-n-Out Burger sticker, etc.
December 6, 2025 at 9:45 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Geometric Mean
intaglio print
1990

The copper plate was prepped with ground, ready for my design but I hesitated. Put it in the drawer then found it later. All the beautiful marks that denote age, making this feel like an ancient drawing are from a process.
A print by Jen Gauerke, a background aged with hundreds of small marks, worn corners, with angular lines and a circle, an organic line. At that time, it was about trying to understand relationships, I had so little idea of what a healthy relationship was as a young adult. Yet I was married just two years later, still not knowing how much I didn’t know.
December 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Rules for Play
8”x 10”
collage and acrylics

After finishing this I realized it’s heavily influenced by Firelei Baez. There was a major exhibition of her work @desmoinesartcenter and they have a few of her works in their permanent collection. Not surprised it came out of me after viewing it so much.
Artwork by Jen Gauerke with vintage collage elements (computer ad, photo of people on a boat and a handwriting worksheet named ‘Rules for Play’). A yellow and green paisley pattern moves from the top right towards the bottom, with blue emerging from the photo. A detail of the artwork, close up view showing the text on the computer ad: using computers to solve problems…
December 1, 2025 at 3:34 AM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Autumn Star
watercolor

The leaves this autumn were unique because it was warm, until it froze. I picked up a few on a walk and created a leaf star. Painting it over the last week has been a refuge in the holiday chaos.

A watercolor painting by Jen Gauerke of colorful autumn leaves arranged in a star pattern. Painting in progress from an angle Beginning of a watercolor painting by Jen Gauerke of colorful autumn leaves arranged in a star pattern, initial layers of paint in reds and yellows.
November 29, 2025 at 9:10 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
A few things for #TombTuesday from Eastern #Iowa cemeteries, Dubuque. Photographed in 2016. Cemeteries are full of art, history, and expressions of devotion.
A cemetery in Autumn, center is a tall stone with a circular opening with a cross, creating a window effect. A headstone with a carved dog, who looks very sad. A white stone mausoleum. A red brick mausoleum with white stone accents, likely limestone as it’s prevalent in this region.
November 25, 2025 at 12:58 PM
jeng-art.bsky.social
Next month I’ll have 3 artworks in the show Dualities at Mainframe in Des Moines, Iowa!
A flyer that reads: FIRST FRIDAY DEC 5 5-8PM 5 floors of Open Studios & MAINFRAME'S MONTHLY FIRST FRIDAY Special exhibitions Food, Drinks & Entertainment Always Free & Open to the public 900 KEO WAY DES MOINES, IA 50309 MAINFRAME STUDIOS BRAVO GREATES PIS MOINE REGIONAL ARTE COUNCIE PRAIRIE MEADOWS
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Reposted by Jen G
solomonmissouri.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 12:22 AM