Jandi Small

Jandi Small is an oil painter whose work merges reality with imagination, drawing viewers into dreamlike scenes where humans and oversized animals share familiar, often rural landscapes. Through her use of magical realism, she explores the emotional and mystical connections between people and animals, capturing the haunting beauty of the Pacific Northwest and evoking a sense of curiosity, intimacy, and wonder.

Raised in California’s San Joaquin Valley, Jandi grew up among farmland, almond orchards, and animals. Childhood days spent on her family’s almond and dairy farms, coupled with early art lessons and encouragement from her adventurous, art-loving father, shaped her creative path. Though she studied Biology and Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, her passion for painting endured—later enriched by extensive travel across the U.S. and abroad.

Jandi’s current work reimagines the relationships between humans and animals, transforming ordinary scenes into extraordinary narratives. By exploring scale and context, she invites viewers to pause and reflect, uncovering hidden layers of meaning in the everyday. Her goal is to create paintings that stir emotion and awaken imagination, celebrating the beauty, mystery, and wildness of the natural world.

Her work has been shown in galleries and exhibitions, and through her pet portrait commissions, she has raised tens of thousands of dollars for animal rescue. Jandi continues to explore, observe, and paint the natural wonders of the world, creating artwork that connects viewers to both the visible and unseen magic in nature.