There’s nothing better than happening upon a talented local artist. Here, get to know Jan Parker, artist and owner of Farm Shop, and hear the charming story of how her business came to be.
“Farm Shop was created around our dinner table on Sunday night in January 2020, in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, just as we were heading into the pandemic. It was the brainchild of my oldest grandson, Greer Lovell, (aka Rooster). He was 10 years old at the time and was insistent we start a family business. He would not let the idea go,” laughed Parker.
Parker’s grandson said the family should start a company and call it Farm Shop.
“He said his dad Jon Mark Lovell would create custom wooden items and charcuterie boards, I (aka Gris-Gris) could do paintings and artwork. His grandfather “Big” (my husband, Benny Parker) could manage the money and he would tell all of us what to do! He reasoned he was the brains behind the whole operation, so he should have an executive position…I think he landed on VP of product development,” she smiled.
So Farm Shop was born, said Parker, from the idea of a 10-year-old and pocket change.
“We purchased the appropriate business licenses and created an Instagram page and went to work. You may have noticed we all have nicknames. Hang around long enough and we will give you one as well!” said Parker, who also noted she has five grandsons: Greer, Beckham, Will, Jack and Miles.
Farm Shop creates handcrafted charcuterie boards and other custom woodworking items, as well as original art in oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media.
“Except for a few prints, all our work is original and handcrafted,” Parker said. “I’d say probably 98% is commissioned. We try to keep a few pieces on hand for our customers who need something last minute, but by far, most of our work is made specifically for our clients. In a time where everything is mass-produced, there is just something so special about taking the time to talk to an artisan whose sole focus is to create something that is uniquely yours. Everyone should have a few custom items in their home.”
Parker believes that everyone is an artist in their own way. “We all have a creative side. The most creative ideas I’ve ever heard come from people who say, ‘I’m just not creative!’ Some of us are just more willing to share our work in public. My son-in-law and I both have always enjoyed anything creative but neither of us has any formal training in art. But if you are asking if this is our full-time job the answer to that is no. I am a manager for an aerospace and defense contractor, and my son-in-law is a pharmaceutical rep and coach.”
When asked to talk about her favorite/most memorable creation, Parker exclaimed, “Oh my goodness! We have created so many special things! Jon Mark has taken reclaimed wood from family farmhouses that were being torn down and created unique family heirlooms that will be passed down from generation to generation along with their story. He’s created beautiful items from reclaimed wood from schools and other historic buildings. It’s such a special way to keep these places alive in our memory and retell their stories. One of his most memorable creations was a 3’ x 3’(yes, that is feet) walnut and rainbow poplar cutting board with a juice groove custom fit to cover an entire kitchen island!
Our clients come up with the most unique ideas. I’ve done paintings I would have never dreamed of doing if my clients hadn’t requested them. I was once commissioned to paint a squirrel eating a potato! I do lots of portraits – weddings, pets, houses – and those are always so special, and all have such lovely stories. But I really love it when I can recreate a memory for someone. I had a client that built a new home on the site of her family’s farm. She commissioned a painting of her grandparent’s original farmhouse that once stood there. The problem was she had one photo, and it only had a portion of the farmhouse and none of the surrounding landscape. We worked together for a few months to capture everything she remembered about her grandparent’s home as a child. The porch swing where her grandfather would smoke his pipe in the afternoons, the oak tree that held her wooden swing, and the clothesline where her grandmother would hang out the clothes. We were able to get all these memories into her painting. It now hangs in her dining room overlooking the original site of her grandparents’ home, and she tells the story of her grandparents to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I’m hopeful they will pass this family history down to their children as well.”
Parker also gave a nod to the others in the local artist community, saying, “I’m always humbled by the talent in the artist community and grateful for their willingness to share their expertise and collaborate.”
Find Farm Shop on Instagram at www.instagram.com/farmshop.usa or call 256-652-4319 for more information.
“I really love it when I can recreate a memory for someone." Jan Parker
