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Jenna Kast has been creative and artistic since childhood, and this has inevitably led to her becoming an emotion and inspiration-driven local abstract artist.

“After earning my degree in Advertising and spending years working in Marketing, I began painting again as a hobby and distraction from my anxiety issues,” Kast says. “Having been a lover of abstract art, I saw it as a way to express myself without having to worry about the anchor of perfectionism. What I discovered was something that allowed me to be my truest self, and it’s been a whole new journey of self-discovery.”

Her moods and “energies” drive her work.

“My work is inspired by my mood and my surroundings,” Kast says. “I use my work as an outlet for energy, and that energy seems to be contained in the work—living there to draw in observers who connect with it in unique and sometimes deeply personal ways. As always, my work is very colorful and uses a lot of contrast and texture. My current body of work plays with shapes, organic forms and rigid lines.”

Kast works out of her home studio and balances her days with painting, business administration, family and regular life.

“I work out of my home studio, and I especially love to get in there and work in the mornings with a cup of coffee and my music blasting,” Kast says. “For me, my process and life are all about balance. Nothing is forced. Much like the intuitive and free-flowing nature of my work, so is my life. I also regularly travel and visit inspirational places to keep my tank full.”

She recently started focusing on larger-scale work.

“I’m really in love with the story I’m able to tell across a larger canvas, and the support I’ve felt from collectors has been overwhelming,” Kast says. “I want the pieces I create to make a statement, to light up a room, and to make a big impression. I am so grateful that my collectors want to put these bold and colorful pieces in their homes and businesses.”

Kast has a piece titled “Intuition” currently on display at the Neville Museum in Green Bay as part of their juried 76th Art Annual. The exhibition runs through the end of January. She also has another solo show coming up in June of 2022 at the Art Garage in Green Bay.

“I’m very active on Instagram and I love chatting with followers and collectors, as well as sharing my day-to-day process and work in progress,” Kast says.

Find her on Instagram @jennakaststudio. —Michaela Branagan