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The Accidental Artist

Argyle's Jenn Thatcher Successfully Trades Her Corporate Career for Creative Passions of Art and Fashion

Article by Stephanie Hasbrouck

Photography by Kelly Christine Sutton

Originally published in Cross Timbers Lifestyle

After the birth of Jenn Thatcher’s third child, she knew she wanted a change. Until that time, the Argyle mom was the regional vice president for a Wall Street firm, traveled constantly and was under high levels of stress. She left the rat race to pursue a career as an artist which, she says, she fell into by accident.

“I painted a large-scale abstract for someone who was selling their home – to use for staging – with some leftover paint I had from my wedding and a canvas my neighbor had given me. Clients kept walking through the home saying, ‘Where is that art from?’ That was October of 2014, and by December of 2014, I had already sold 200 paintings,” Jenn says.

Her accidental artistry has turned into a successful business. Jenn now sells her popular art in various mediums, as well as décor and apparel on her website jennthatcher.com.

She attributes her success, in part, to her untrained eye. Without formal training, there are no “rules” to follow, she explains.

“I truly didn’t know what I was doing, so learning and teaching myself along the way has given me a very varied body of work that uses unconventional methods to achieve the looks I create,” Jenn says.

“I love creating beautiful things that other people can enjoy, and hopefully mimic the beauty of God’s creation.”

Jenn’s newest artistic adventure is a clothing line born from a trying time in her life two years ago.

“When my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2019, I couldn’t sleep at night. I knew I was going to be spending a lot of time away from home with doctor appointments and hospital stays, and that I wouldn’t be able to use my painting career as an escape because I wouldn’t be in my studio at home to do that. So I created the clothing line at night,” she says. “It helped me feel productive – created an escape from my constant thoughts and worry for my son.”

Jenn’s apparel is an extension of her artwork.  “The line is a family line, with many pieces for children that match siblings or mom and dad. Continuing my love of creating connections for family was very important to me,” she says. “The line has some of my art designs, but also has many solid/staple pieces.”

Jenn spared no expense on her new clothing line - utilizing superior fabrics that are used by high-end French and Italian design houses. All of her pieces have excellent fits and designer details.

Many of the family pieces are imprinted with Jenn’s popular longhorn artwork, which was inspired by the Argyle longhorns that graze near her home.

“The longhorn print is world famous, with over 5,000 prints sold everywhere from the Middle East to London and Japan,” Jenn says. “I decided to expand the print into a clothing line. It’s been super popular with the UT crowd, but I do have some secret Aggies who love the line as well. It is gender neutral, so it’s perfect for the family matching.”

What began as a creative outlet and escape from her life’s stressors, has turned into a thriving career for which Jenn says she feels blessed to have stumbled upon.

“I started painting for fun. It has been an outlet for me to keep busy … But the way people reacted to my art made me feel so honored to create things that point toward creation and life,” Jenn says. “My goal is always to point people toward the light, our creator and celebrate families and connection.”

For more information about Jenn’s creations, visit jennthatcher.com.