Welcome to Studio JRU. I am so happy that you are here.
I'm Jennifer… the artist behind Studio JRU. I grew up on a farm in Nebraska, with my sister, two brothers, and a baby sister watching over us from heaven.
I’ve loved being creative and making art for as long as I can remember. My mom would help me set up paints and paper right in front of the TV so I could paint along with the painting shows on PBS. Even being creative, I was a pretty serious little girl, a bit of a perfectionist I guess you could say. I even took coloring seriously, I had to stay in the lines and make it neat! After high school I went to The Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. What an amazing experience that was.
After college I married my husband, Heydon. Before our second wedding anniversary, he was diagnosed with a giant brain aneurysm. Our lives changed that very moment forever. We had to let go of our dreams and our plans, at least the ones we thought we had for ourselves. We lived in Hawaii at the time, where Heydon was stationed in the Army. With our family thousands of miles away, we leaned on one another and trusted in God to get us through this difficult time.
God had colored way outside the lines in our life. We learned to trust in His plan. That is much easier said than done for people who have always been in control of things. I mean, my husband was a Military Police Officer so he was trained to always be in control. I was the girl who took coloring seriously as a child! Control was something we were used to, we were comfortable with it, and it took time to let go and trust.
My husband’s life was saved. His recovery was long and is still ongoing, it probably will be his entire life. He handles it all with such strength and courage. I can't help but admire him. I thank God everyday that He put me on this earth with this man as my husband. I am blessed.
Faith is a big part of my life and my art. God has given me with this talent, blessed me with art in my life, so I want to use it in the best way I possibly can. I can’t even imagine doing anything else. I want each piece of art that I make to be meaningful, encouraging and inspiring. I want my art to connect people with God’s word. I make original mixed media pieces, including crosses. I also make print art and prints of originals. You can find my art through my ArtFire shop and you can find my (in)courage line on the DaySpring webstore.
People may compliment my art but really it is God working through me…I merely hold the paint brush as He miraculously holds me through whatever may come in this life.