Jackie Grawe - Portrait Artist | Illustrator | Nature Lover

...Surprisingly, I was not crushed by the banishment. ​

I thought their coloring was a bit boring, perfectly within the lines with a very light, almost imperceptible hue. I wanted drama. Rich colors to fill the thin light gray pages of the coloring book. The images to "color in" were mere suggestions. I wanted to make ART. I would grab the crayons out of the box and with my left hand clenched tightly, almost upside down, and color as heavy and richly as possible.

Relocating from San Francisco to a farm in rural Oregon, my love of nature and animals paralleled the love I felt for art. Multiple moves across the nation introduced me to fascinating people and strikingly different cultures within the U.S.

The skateboarding, freestyle life in Spokane Washington was a sharp contrast to that of Stone Mountain Georgia. In my early teen years, I had a rude awakening to racism. One of my very first full-color portraits was that of Jimi Hendrix, my way of creatively taking a stand against the small-minded viewpoint of some of the residents. 

Across town, at my next high school, I witnessed reverse racism and had to protect my little brothers at times. The rallies and high emotional tension created an unquenchable thirst to know more about the history of the Civil War and why people were imprisoned by their beliefs.

I took a few years of art classes to better hone my skills so that I could become a visual storyteller through my portraits. 

What fascinates me most is when you meet someone of any age or color, you can engage in beautiful rich conversations. When groups are pitted against one another, that's when trouble begins. 

I believe everyone has the capacity for greatness. Striving to attain one's goal is a noble and worth effort. Those who fascinate me are whom I create.

I am a visual storyteller.  

Please reach out with any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. 

​