Collection: Jennifer Grinnell

Jennifer Grinnell is a Washington, D.C.-area painter whose work is deeply rooted in the natural world, particularly the expansive skies and rolling hills of Iowa. Her evolving style, which she calls “Distilled Landscapes,” blends realism with moments of abstraction, capturing the essence of land, sky, and water while subtly incorporating traces of human presence — boats, roads, farms, phone lines — that remind us of our place within the vastness of nature.

Influenced by two mentors and professors from Grinnell College — color field painter Richard Cervene and landscape artist Bobbie McKibben — Grinnell’s work reflects a confluence of bold strokes of color and reverent observation. She believes in “constantly honing the artist’s way of seeing,” inviting viewers into a shared visual dialogue where each painting is formed and re-formed through the eyes of its beholder.

Grinnell holds a BA in Studio Art from Grinnell College, an MA in Strategic Communications from Syracuse University, and has pursued MFA coursework in Communications Design at Iowa State University. Her paintings are held in private collections worldwide.

Grinnell is also an Emmy-nominated copywriter and president of BrandPlanet®, a creative
agency focused on cause-driven marketing. She is a former art gallery owner (Scene in the National Harbor, Maryland) and currently serves as president of the highly awarded Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Friends group, supporting environmental stewardship in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she lives with her sons, Cole and Luke.