Artist Profile

Nashville-based Jeff Overby developed a passion for drawing and painting as a child, thanks to an inspiring middle school art teacher in Mississippi. Although Jeff did not study art during his university years, the appreciation of art continued to inspire him. After working in an international position in the corporate world, he decided to pursue an academic teaching career. With a Ph.D. in marketing and professional interests in cultural awareness, international business and world affairs, Jeff has worked and lived throughout the world, including significant stints in Argentina, England, France, Ireland, South Africa, South Korea and Spain.

Jeff is driven by a desire to inspire others to appreciate, respect, and embrace different cultures, whether it be through teaching or painting. Because of this, many of his paintings feature international locations and themes. Largely self-taught, he devotes most of his time painting in his studio and occasionally plein air. Although oil painting makes up the majority of his work, he periodically employs mixed media. His paintings focus chiefly on landscapes and seascapes, but with an eye towards growing as an artist, Jeff has begun to experiment with abstraction. He attempts to capture the essence of a feeling or subject through layering but without the pressure of realism. In fact, he views painting as a form of therapy, and his deliberately non-perfectionist methods are intended to reflect the beauty of imperfection in the world and within himself.

Jeff was mentored by Paul Proctor, a Nashville-based artist and teacher. Jeff has completed several workshops, including the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting.