artist in her home: no. 4

Visiting Jennifer French and her husband Rob in their recently purchased home is a treat. The food is always gourmet-delicious, and the setting is inspiring. Every room in Jen and Rob's house is a feast for the eyes, every wall carefully considered.

I have been a long-time fan of Jen's work, first admiring her Christmas ornaments at the RISD Alumni Holiday sale when I was in grad school. How fortunate that a few years later, our paths crossed in Pawtucket, where we became neighbors, and friends, in a renovated mill building. A year ago, Jen and Rob moved into a new house and have created a sophisticated, playful, and inviting home, decorated by Jen's incredible eye for beauty and a talented hand for painting. Here are a few details (click on the images for a larger view):


Jen's most recent work: collage, drawing and painting, reminds me of Russian folk tales I grew up with.


A collection of animal statues look stunning against the rich dark color of the living room.


Art Nouveau details, hand painted by Jen on the living room walls.


A series of skulls from animals collected by Jen's family.


An arrangement of hand painted and transferware plates in the kitchen.


A piece of wood Jen found in the back yard now serves as a coat hanger in the front hall. The antique ornate hooks were sent by Rob's father.


I was lucky to have traded two of my tiles, shown above, for one of Jen's paintings. It makes me happy to see the tiles displayed in Jen's dining room. They are in such good company, like the gorgeous paintings by Mara O'Day, shown below.