As a self-taught artist rooted in Chicago, my work is a profound exploration of the intersections of creativity, identity, and pain. Influenced by my father, a painter, and inspired by my mother’s artistic spirit, I use acrylics and mixed media to convey the complexities of my experiences as a chronically ill individual.
Art by
Jayne Mattingly
click here to commission a piece from jayne.
Most pieces pictured are available to purchase.
the studio
this month's featured art
She is a work of grief and joy and transition that has taken many forms and names. First a couple of years back as I was painting and my in-laws at the time were in town, everyone was gathered around the tv watching some sport as usual, and I was soothing by painting. The piece I was making is the one you see here but it was all pastels, blues, greens, yellows and of course pinks, and my MIL said it reminded her of a nursery. I agreed and that pissed me off. My Body Grief from my radical hysterectomy that I had undergone just a couple of years prior was still lingering in my mind. “You will never have that.” “This is what your life will look like forever, men gathered in front of a screen screaming at other men bashing their heads together, and you alone with no little one to take care of.” That is what just a few colors and one simple well intentioned comment brought up in me with my healing Body Grief. So what did I do? I started scraping colors, like dark paynes grey, and crimson red, and mustard yellow and just started to intuitively move my hands, brushes and palette knives to let out my anger and sadness of what “could have been if my body were something else.” Then came “No Baby” She was displayed in a Gallery and seen by many.
Just recently this year of 2026, as I am separated from my husband, I came out as Gay and am learning about my life as an unmasked woman. "No Baby” didn’t call me anymore. It seems I am spending more time at the OBGYN and Urologist than I do with my friends and when my uterus and ovaries were evicted from my body at 31 I was almost positive I made a deal with the universe that I’d get a break from that part of Body Grief for a while. But that just isn’t how life works. So I went to my studio as I do, and took “No Baby” in my hands and added some Lesbian flare and intuitive doodles. No Baby has now become “No Baby Gay Baby” in multi Mixed Media and she holds a special place in my heart. She shows that we can continue to grow in our Grief even when we hit road blocks and feel stuck, there are always ways around and through the pain.
no baby gay baby | 18"x24"
This Piece is simply a depiction of the beauty that can come from peeling back all of the layers to figure out who we really are. To the outsider it may seem like we are constantly changing, constantly adding on MORE layers, identities, trying to always find out who we are, but an abstract painting like this one is only symbolizing an internal excavation of our pain, Grief, and joy that makes us who we are. Mixed Multi Media.
layers | 2'x3'
Featured in WoodWalk Gallery, Egg Harbor Wisconsin
Drummond Studio Gallery, Charleston, SC
Feminist Magazine
Each brushstroke is an act of resilience, a testament to my journey through Body Grief; a feeling of loss and disconnection from my own body. I create in layers, both literally and metaphorically, employing rich textures that mirror the depth of my emotions. Using mixed media, heavy in acrylic paint and oil pastel, my art captures the raw and often unspoken struggles of living with chronic illness, transforming pain into vibrant visual narratives and leaping into the magic feeling of nostalgia that is Grief.
As a Disabled, Chronically Ill, Gay, high Femme artist, my identity is intricately woven into my creations. I offer both original works and commissions, inviting others to engage with their own experiences of grief, healing, and empowerment. Through my art, I strive to foster connection and understanding, illuminating the beauty and strength found in vulnerability.
Leaning heavily into floral abstracts, I release more accessible collections right here on the website every quarter, alongside bespoke commissioned pieces and high-value original works curated for collectors from all walks of life.
I often spend hours on one piece getting lost in the textures and colors while listening to music that brings out whatever emotions I am feeling in that moment. One of my favorite things to do is get lost in a painting with my music blaring, windows open, multiple beverages at the ready that I, or my cat, will most likely knock over, and no judgement is allowed. Only what comes from my body to the canvas. Much like a dance, just different now. It usually starts out quite ugly, and in it’s own way it’s so beautiful… much like Grief. I give myself full permission to get messy and to break the rules. I can paint over anything I want to, because It really isn't that serious. It is fun, it is playful it is worth living for.
Most pieces pictured are available to purchase.
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Art Inquiry
EIN: 88-2293804
For a more accessible option, I will be shifting my Non Profit, The AND Initiative.
The AND Initiative: Transforming the narrative around disability by providing free commissioned art, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses and healing through creativity and connection one story at a time.
Art has always been one of the ways I make meaning from body grief, disability, illness, joy, and everything in between.
The AND Initiative is evolving. Moving forward, I’ll be offering one original commissioned artwork each quarter to a person living with chronic illness and/or disability.
This isn't about who has suffered the most.
It's not about proving that your body is sick enough, disabled enough, or deserving enough.
Because I don't believe there is a hierarchy to suffering—and I don't believe we should have to perform our pain in order to receive care.
Sometimes a little color, beauty, recognition, and joy can be a form of care all on its own.
So every quarter, I'll randomly select one eligible recipient to receive an original piece of artwork created specifically for them.
You don't have to have the "worst" story. You don't have to tell me your whole medical history. You don't have to prove anything.
You just have to be a person living in a body that could use a little more art.
Quarterly Gifts
- Identify as a person living with a chronic illness and/or disability.
- Are able to receive an original artwork by mail.
- Meet the geographic shipping requirements listed on this page.
- Have not received an AND Initiative Quarterly Art Gift within the past 12 months.
You do not need to provide medical records or documentation of your disability or chronic illness.
There is no income requirement, diagnosis requirement, or requirement to share personal medical information.
who can apply
I'll ask about the things that matter to you—colors, memories, places, people, feelings, symbols, inside jokes, dreams, seasons, or simply things that bring you joy.
You don't have to know exactly what you want.
Part of the magic is figuring that out together.
The finished artwork will be sent to you at no cost.
what is the quarterly art gift
For that reason, we do not rank applicants based on the severity of their illness, the amount of medical care they've received, their financial circumstances, or how compelling their story may be.
Each quarter:
1. Applications are reviewed for basic eligibility.
2. Everyone who meets the eligibility requirements is entered into a random selection process.
3. One recipient is selected, along with several alternates in case the selected recipient is unable to accept the gift.
This means you don't have to write the most heartbreaking story to be selected.
You don't have to convince us that your pain matters.
Your pain matters. Your joy matters. Your existence matters.
And sometimes, art can be a way of saying: I see you.
how recipients are selected
Your story belongs to you.
You are welcome to share as much—or as little—as you'd like on the application. You will never be required to disclose medical records, diagnoses, or other documentation to prove your eligibility.
Information submitted through this application will be used to determine eligibility, contact potential recipients, and create the commissioned artwork.
Your application and personal story will not be publicly shared without your separate permission.
If you choose to give permission to potentially share your story, photos, or artwork publicly, that permission will not affect your eligibility or your chances of being selected.
A Note About Your Story & Privacy
QUARTERLY GIFT APPLICATION
frequently asked questions
I know what it means to live in a body that doesn't always do what you need it to do.
I also know how much the world can ask disabled and chronically ill people to focus on what's broken, what's missing, what's inaccessible, what's next, and what's wrong.
Art gives me another language.
It gives me a place to hold grief and joy at the same time.
It lets me make something beautiful without pretending that the hard stuff isn't there.
That's what I want this project to offer: not a cure, not a silver lining, and not a story about overcoming disability.
Just a little more beauty.
A little more recognition.
A little more color.
A little more you are here, and you matter.
Because access is love. And sometimes, art is love, too.
— Jayne