Home Showcase – Jenna Alexander

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The second edition of Stripes and Buns, a coffee table book highlighting what it means to be a good woman, will be releasing online THIS Thursday morning at 8 am EST!
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2018 was the year I dedicated to working on a very meaningful project called Stripes and Buns. The project began when I opened up my studio to women who wanted to be photographed for the series. All they had to do was wear stripes and a bun (obvi short haired ladies and bald babies were invited as well).
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Over 200 daughters, mothers, friends, great grandmothers, sisters, step mothers, cousins, you name it, showed up—200! Little did they know, before their photos were taken, each person was asked (ON THE SPOT) to write down what they thought it meant to be a good woman. These writings paired with images fill the pages of the Stripes and Buns coffee table book.
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From three year old River to 87 year old Doris, this book is filled with wisdom, humor and truth. It truly is an inspiring read! And the making of it brought me immense joy. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share this book with you again! If you’d like to celebrate with us in person, I’ll be signing copies as well as selling original paintings at @twistedcompasscoffee this Thursday evening from 5:30-7 pm! #stripesandbuns #jennaalexanderstudio.

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I carved out time to paint for myself today and it felt good, especially because I had two little artists painting with me. So here’s Jensen and Za’s portraits! My goal is to have a portrait of each person in our family from these early, fleeting days. It’s coming along slowly, and that’s ok because I know Navy’s and my portrait will be finished in time. When they’re all hanging together in our cottage, I imagine Jensen and Navy coming home for Thanksgiving as adults, laughing with friends, and noticing these paintings in the background. The little kids in the paintings will take them right back to playing tag around the house, fighting over who gets tucked in first, dancing in the living room, building forts, and painting at the kitchen counter. My prayer is that they’ll be overcome by a past filled with love. And then they’ll say, “Wow, mom and dad, you guys haven’t aged a bit!” 😉 #jensenandnavy #jennaalexanderstudio

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I’m the one in the hat. The handsome fella next to me is my husband Zā. He’s the reason I found my way to St. Augustine, and honestly, when I married him, I married into the biggest, most supportive family around. He’s not on Instagram, but in person, he has more to say than I do—and I really couldn’t tell you if that’s from the Greek or Portuguese side of his family. 😜 His days are spent teaching math at a blind school in town (fun fact, it’s the same school that Ray Charles attended), cooking delicious meals for us, surfing and fishing when he can, and playing on the floor with our littles. If I’m lucky, we’ll play music together in the backyard.
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As contrived as their smiles appear in this photo (I swear we weren’t pinching them), Jensen and Navy are our two little tukarunas that make life adventurous and enjoyable. They’re 5 and 3 going on 25 and 23. We’re not able to spell out words anymore since Jensen’s learning too much too quickly. Navy’s been wearing a tutu since she could walk, and has already found her life calling the moment she set foot in her first ballet class last week.
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Thanks for following along my journey as an artist and homemaker! I would not be able to pursue a full time career as an artist if it weren’t for you. So CHEERS to you! I hope you have a beautiful weekend.
#jennaandza #jensenandnavy @evergoldphotography

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GUESS what’s back!!! The Stripes and Buns coffee table book! If you’ve been here long enough to know about this project then you know I’m beaming right now.
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While I’ve been enjoying hands on studio time, my team has been busy behind screens making a LOT of studio goals come to fruition—including redesigning and printing the second edition of my Stripes and Buns book.
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The small batch of books will be available next Thursday, Jan 30th at 8 am online AND in person at Twisted Compass Coffee Co. (@twistedcompasscoffee) in Fruit Cove. A few of my favorite paintings are on display there as well. Come celebrate with us that evening from 5:30-7 pm.
#stripesandbuns #jennaaexanderstudio

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Man! Now I like the kids bathroom better than ours. A little paint makes a big difference. (Color: Benjamin Moore Stillwater) 🛁🕯🕰 #alexandercottage

@jennaalexanderstudio