Abby Jacobs’ Joy-Filled Art

Photography by Eleanor Williamson

Hydrangeas, peonies, forget-me-nots—you name the flower and Abby Jacobs is obsessed with it. Which is a good thing, because she paints them pretty much all the time, creating art for everything from journal covers and custom wallpaper to Barnes & Noble day planners, Trader Joe’s greeting cards, and a just-commissioned fabric collection for an unnamed big-box retailer.

And she does it all freehand in acrylic and gouache. “Make a mistake in pencil, there’s an eraser. But freehand, you must embrace the spontaneity and just go with it, and I love that feeling,” Jacobs says.

Jacobs, who was born in Denver and grew up in California and Missouri, has been creating art for as long as she can remember. The Boulder mother of two earned a master’s in Transpersonal Art Therapy from Boulder’s Naropa University in 2001, working full-time until 10 years ago when starting a family inspired her to take the leap and start AbbyJac Designs.

Her minimalist, light-filled, above-the-garage studio was designed by Surround Architecture. A cherished painting by her grandfather is propped in a corner.

Each week, Jacobs sends new work to her Midwest-based agent, who specializes in representing surface pattern artists. Jacobs loves what she does, so every morning, armed with her favorite tiny-tipped Princeton Select 20/0 brush, she eagerly faces a blank white sheet, puts paint on her palette, and begins. “I truly believe people buy your joy!”