Jennifer Davis

Chattanooga, TN

“Art calms my mind. I remember the past and leave it there.” 

Jennifer Davis is a survivor of abuse and abandonment, in addition to being a cancer survivor and undergoing open heart surgery. She receives support services from Johnson Mental Health, which is the connection that eventually led her to working with H*Art Gallery, our community partner in Chattanooga, TN.

The art-making process brings her overactive mind to a relaxed state and relieves the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. Jennifer began to explore art more than twenty years ago. Debilitating depression over the last several years interfered with her creative drive; however, Jennifer is now feeling optimistic about her future as an artist. She is able to “remember the past and leave it there” as art calms her mind.

Art is her greatest outlet and passion, and she is always ready to try new techniques and “mix it up.” She calls colors “amazing,” noting that it just feels good to see what happens as she experiments on plywood and canvas with paint, alcohol drips, or sharpies to add “shine and sparkle.” For Jennifer, art is about learning new things, watching others, and asking questions. She specifies that she likes to work on three pieces at once starting with a background and then figuring out which colors to use without too much planning.  

She has a great therapist and receives great emotional support from her son. She loves children and has a special relationship with her two great-nephews.  Her goal is to have her own place and to become self-sufficient. She wants to become a part of the larger artist community, not for fame but to help others out there.