About Walking Iris Studio

My name is Whitney Genae Jones, and I’m the artist behind Walking Iris Studio.

Growing up I was always outside playing in the woods with my brother and sister. Being out in nature is natural for me and because of that I got to witness and fall in love with what nature gives us. Everything between beauty, whimsy, odd, and maybe a little creepy, I love it all. And so I create art that is an ode to the wonder of nature.

My main medium is watercolor. While I’ve created art for most of my life, I didn’t start exploring watercolors until 2020 when the pandemic hit and we all suddenly had time on our hands to explore new things. Watercolor was always that medium that I avoided because it seemed such a difficult medium to get right. And yet with the pandemic I think we all realized life is too short to be scared of trying something new. So I dove in. And then I persisted. Until one day watercolor started making sense between my brush and the paper. Now watercolor is my preferred medium and I am so glad I gave myself the chance to just try!

I also dabble in digital art as well. While I don't create many pieces digitally there are a few I am quite proud of and offer as prints. No AI is ever used in my art, so any digital prints I have available you can rest assured they were created by my own hand and NEVER by AI.

The name of Walking Iris Studio holds a story of blooming through a time of deep grief. In 2021 a dear friend and coworker, Jenny, took her own life. I was devastated. Through the pandemic we were constant walking buddies and friends. She was a gardener and we traded flowers with each other. Well, her more than me since I’m a terrible gardener! The only flower I was able to propagate and gift to her was a Sky Flower. The last gift she gave me before she passed was a Walking Iris which still blooms in my garden today. As a way to process my grief I had a Walking Iris and a Sky Flower tattooed on my shoulder in memory of her and our friendship. Walking Iris Studio is named in memory of Jenny, but also named for myself. To remind me that there is still the beauty and joy in life even after devastating grief.

It’s incredibly important to me that the art I create brings joy because a little piece of joy can mean everything to someone. I hope my art can bring you and others joy too.