Jen LaVita the artist
Inspired by nature's colors, textures and patterns, Jen LaVita loves to bring scenes to life with paint. Jen uses saturated and unexpected colors and bold brush stokes to create vibrant scenes. She works across a spectrum of styles from loose and painterly to more graphic with clean lines. Her use of color is bright, bold and happy.
She draws inspiration from the beauty around her when exploring outside, time at the beach and her love for all animals and sea life. Her goal is to explore her artistic abilities and continue to broaden her skills through experience. This philosophy has led Jen to create murals, collaborate with other artists, live paint competitively, sell at art fairs and markets, and open an online shop with original art, coasters, magnets and more. She also teaches art classes weekly and hosts a monthly art workshop. Follow her on Instagram for updates.
Biography
Jen LaVita grew up just outside of Boston, spending long winters and happy summers at her New England home. She's always been an artist, with her first love being pastels.
While getting a B.F.A. in Advertising Design from Syracuse University, Jen joined Army ROTC and upon graduating, left home to serve in the U.S. Army as an Air Defense Artillery Officer. After four years spent leading Soldiers, flying a blimp, and even jumping out of "perfectly good airplanes", Jen followed her heart out west to the coast of California.
These days, Jen has established herself as and artist. She creates out of her studio at Grand View Fine Arts in Mar Vista and regularly shows work and live paints. Her work has been exhibited at the Santa Paula Art Museum in 2021. Jen has murals throughout the city of LA, also in Palm Springs, CA, Salem, MA and Seville, Spain. Jen has competed in the live painting competition, Art Battle, and made it to the finals after her 20 min live painting was voted in the top 4 of 16. She is a live painter at various events and also with the performance group, the Night Owl Players. She has continued to stay connected with her military foundation as an Executive Board member and colleague of the United States Veterans' Artists Alliance. With USVAA, Jen has shown artwork with Warner Bros, Sony and Boeing and was featured on ABC News. Jen is also a volunteer artist with the non-profit, Access Books CA, designing and leading a team of volunteers in painting murals in lower income schools throughout Los Angeles.
Press
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Murze Magazine
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Painting featured in Issue Ten digital and print art magazine. February 2020
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Palisades Art Association
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October 2019
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ABC Salutes
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ABC News segment filmed in Jen's studio about being a Military Veteran Artist colleague of United States Veteran's Artists Alliance. September 2019
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Voyage LA
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Artist Interview. May 2018
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The Argonaut
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"The Wild Bunch" article about Jen's live painting in the art performance group, the Night Owl Players. August 2018
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Pangeaseed & Volcom
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Volcom teams up with Pangeaseed Foundation to raise awareness for ocean conservation. Jen LaVita's "Oil and Water Don't Mix" painting was selected. May 2019
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Westside Today
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"Bringing Mural Art to Life" at Beyond the Lines Gallery. November 2017
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Art Share LA
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Feature about the Golden Road Brewery fundraiser where Jen live painted. September 2018
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The Sun
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Article of the music festival and photo of Jen painting a 5'x12' mural at Cal Jams 18. October 2018
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Pepperdine University Graphic
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An article on the collaborative performance group Jen live paints with, the Night Owl Players. April 2019
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Art Squat Magazine
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Artist Interview. 2022
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Santa Paula Art Musueum - Work from Home Exhibition
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Jen's "Magic Hour" painting was included in this 2022 exhibition
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Jen LaVita is named Veteran of the Year for District 11 in Los Angeles, November 2018
