The Artist's Story
Jaynee Grace is a Florida based artist. Her paintings explore the essence of connecting with nature and animals, sweeping the viewer into a magical moment where one comes face to face with some of the most majestic and intelligent animals found on this earth.
She draws from her own experiences growing up in a rural town with an ocean-loving family, where she continually formed friendships with various animals (ranging from her own dogs to wild dolphins!) Her work is brought to life through a realistic yet atmospheric approach, using light to form emotion in each art piece.
At its core, her work revolves around the feeling of connection, belonging, and family that people have found with nature and animals for thousands of years.
Jaynee was born in Orlando, Florida, though her family moved to a rural town in the central Florida backwoods when she was only six years old. She and her brother grew up on a small hobby farm, where her dedication to animals started at a young age.
Growing up, her family lived a modern life with an old Florida-style edge. They worked together to operate their hobby farm while free time and vacations were usually spent on a river, lake, the ocean, or exploring the backwoods.
From the time she was a small child, her favorite place to visit was an island in southwest Florida, on which her family has owned a small fishing cabin for nearly 60 years. This island is completely cut off from the mainland and can only be accessed by boat. Here, Jaynee discovered a deep connection and appreciation for the ocean, beaches and islands that would last a lifetime.
At the age of five, Jaynee took an interest in attempting to draw horses, dogs and cats. Once she picked up this hobby, she would never set it aside, and practiced drawing and doodling animals every day. Though at this stage, her art was more of a child’s play than an actual ambition, her skills in drawing and sketching would continue to develop for years to come.
How a Dolphin Changed One Girl's Life...
Little Gasparilla Island in Placida, Florida: not many people know the name. It’s a small town on the salty shores of southwest Florida, somewhere between Tampa and Fort Myers. Jaynee’s family has owned a small old Florida-style cabin on this island for nearly six decades.
It was in the sparkling green waters near the island that a very special animal inspired an 11-year-old girl to discover a passion that would last a lifetime.
“I remember diving underwater at my family’s favorite snorkeling location near the island, and hearing this repetitive clicking sound in the water,” Jaynee recalls. “When I came up for air and looked around, I noticed this dark shadow in the water lurking beside my grandpa’s boat. At first I didn’t know what it was, but then a very familiar fin came out of the water, and my heart skipped a beat.”
“It was a dolphin. But not just any dolphin. This one had a damaged dorsal fin, which appeared to have been bitten by a shark. And, this wasn’t the first time he’d visited me in the water,” Jaynee says.
“A few days previous, we were snorkeling in the same location when the same dolphin came up to me. Looking back, I realize that the two encounters were likely coincidental, as this particular dolphin hangs out near that spot regularly, but in my 11-year-old mind, this wild animal was my ‘friend’ and he’d come to play with me again.”
Photos From Jaynee's Underwater Camera During That Encounter
“He stayed by me for about 20 minutes. I’d dive down to the bottom (which wasn’t very deep) and he’d come look at me. Then we’d both rise to the surface for air.”
“It was more than magical. It was like one of those dreams that’s so unrealistically amazing that when you wake up you think about how you wish it had been real for the rest of the day. There is one moment in particular that I still vividly remember. I was diving down, and the dolphin was calmly approaching me again. Very slowly, I stretched out my hand underwater…the dolphin came within a few inches of my fingers. I could not believe how close I was to this intelligent wild creature, and moreover, that he chose to interact with me completely out of his own will.”
“When I was 11, I named the dolphin ‘Mangrove,’ after the mangrove forests that compose typical southwest Florida coastal scenery. What makes the experience even more special is that I still see ‘Mangrove’ to this day, every time I go to the island. His shark bite scars are easy to recognize.”
Since then, dolphins became the center of Jaynee’s dreams and hobbies, including her artwork. She took any and every opportunity to get on a boat or kayak to watch the local wild dolphins. She always takes a camera to capture the best moments.
Jaynee photographs a wild dolphin leaping out the water
“Being amongst the wild dolphins and finding a connection with them gave me a sense of purpose and belonging,” she explains. “It’s a special, healing kind of pleasure to meet a wild animal on terms where you both equally enjoy the experience.”
After spending years observing and photographing “Mangrove’s” dolphin family around Little Gasparilla Island, Jaynee now recognizes most of the local dolphins by their unique dorsal fins.
“One of my greatest joys in life is when I get to take a guest out on my little john boat and let them find their own connections with nature and of course, the wild dolphins,” she adds.
Jaynee soon discovered a method to share the uplifting and healing sensation of being in the presence of wild dolphins with more people than could fit in a john boat.
At the age of 13, Jaynee began her future career in digital painting and illustration. Her work has received hundreds of thousands of views, interactions, and shares over social media by the countless people around the world who relate to the healing power of connecting with nature and wildlife.