IMAGINE AN EXPLOSION OF FRENETIC ENERGY—ONE THAT cannot be defined yet the beauty of its vibrancy hums with whirlwinds of wonder and an insatiable quest for sensations of the senses and the self.
This, if artist Jennifer Fleming-Balser’s spirit and art can be defined, is close to what her work has evolved into over the decades. And her journey as a creative spirit illustrates a life of passion, pain, joy and self-realization.
“What I’ve come to realize is art isn’t a noun,” Fleming-Balser says. “It’s a verb; it isn’t one act or one painting. When someone buys or observes a work of art, they’re getting a piece of the process that an artist created—it’s just a small part of the artist’s journey.”
For Fleming-Balser, the people and events in her life have served as road signs along her creative path. Her journey has taken many forms—from managing major advertising campaigns and having her work inducted into the National Advertising Hall of Fame to raising a family before reimagining herself as an artist. Through each chapter, she has remained committed to continually interpreting life through connection and creativity—what she calls her “internal-ness.”
She credits her older brother with sparking her creativity. She recalls a carefree childhood roaming Atlanta’s Riverside neighborhood with a gaggle of kids, often tagging along with him in games that doubled as creative exercises. “Whether it was building a sandcastle at the beach or stacking blocks at our grandparents’, he loved architecture and civilization,” she says. That freedom to imagine carried into books, plays and small productions she created with friends. “I had become funny myself,” Balser muses. “Being the youngest of four, you learn how to entertain and win over the crowd—or perish.”
The death of her father when she was 16 years old caused Fleming-Balser to rethink everything. “The innocence was gone,” she says. “I had to make sense of suicide.” She did so through poetry, writing, drawing and painting. She believes that experiencing that level of trauma helped her to be a more empathetic person.
Fleming-Balser describes a period where the deeper, more vulnerable side of being human filled itself in. “The creative discipline helped me put the pieces back together,” she says. Still having dreams to live, Fleming-Balser attacked academics and the building of a creative portfolio to jettison herself into a creative career in advertising.
As a successful art director in advertising, she developed a strong sense of confidence. Her presentations relied on fast, simple line drawings. “At a time when other art directors were creating complicated Photoshopped storyboards, I was heading in the opposite direction. I used to get teased that my comps were so devoid of detail and effort,” she says. Yet the simplicity left space for the concept to shine, often helping her get more work in front of clients. The pitching process would later influence her artistic practice as well.
After leaving the advertising world, Fleming-Balser soon entered another creative phase. “I spent 20 years honing my drawing style, depicting moments in time that conveyed humanness—that intangible essence,” she says.
Her line drawings developed into bold, simple interpretations using the same type of pad and pen she’d used in advertising. She explored “the continuous-line drawing,” never picking up her pen until completed. “There aren’t mistakes,” she says. “I just go with it. I challenge myself to connect people together through a shared line. I had learned from pitching ads that simplicity raised the odds of relatability.”
Fleming-Balser pursued her Master of Fine Arts at SCAD, only to leave halfway through the program. “SCAD taught me I was already doing important work,” she says.
While the intellectual scene in the arts is of interest to Fleming-Balser, it’s not her audience of interest. “I show my work at Scott Antique Markets,” she says. “I’ve met some impeccable interior designers all over the South. Here, I can talk to people about my work, about my artistic journey.”
Her loft space reflects her personality. Juxtapositions of new and old, light and shadows with patinaed walls, a grand chandelier, plants, paints and brushes convey her spirit; it’s a place to create and celebrate, journal and journey. The space is also littered with antique frames. Her clients have come to know her work for the union between her abstract art and the historical frames. “I love hunting for old frames to house my work,” she says. “Preserving these beautiful frames—the more broke, the better. Aren’t we all a bit broken?”
Fleming-Balser says she’s learned being present isn’t just about fulfillment; it’s also integral to developing as an artist. “The artistic process is about paying attention,” she explains. Her medium changed when she went to Japan; when touring museums she was captivated by the Japanese brushstrokes in written characters. She uses the brush and inks to gain a more handmade appearance in her own work.
Fleming-Balser is a rising star in the Atlanta artist scene, whether she realizes that this too is a part of her journey. She has dedicated herself to finding her mettle—not just as a gifted artist but as a woman who by all accounts has much to say and do. And she’s not afraid to take that leap or speak her mind. “I love connecting with people, meeting them,” she says. “I know who I am now, and I’m so excited about what the future holds.” *
Brigitte Surette is a freelance writer, editor and copywriter. Visit brigittesurette.com to learn more.
