Jennifer Cerami Bogart moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2011 from Jackson, Mississippi.

 She is a self-taught artist who started painting as young as she can remember. When she was about four years old, her brother challenged her to draw a lamb with all the curly cue fur. He said that’s too much work, but she remembers drawing it and finishing it. Curly cues and all. 

Cucumber Cat came about when her youngest daughter, who was about five years old at the time, drew an image on a chalkboard while living in New Orleans. It was their black cat, Lulu, in the shape of a cucumber. She called it “cucumber cat”. She painted the outlines of the image white to preserve it, and later brought it to life through her art. 

Being creative and challenged to do different things, while finding painting peaceful, she finds happiness when a painting is finished, and creating a story that other people can relate to.

She self-published a children’s book called Hot Moon, which was also inspired by her oldest daughter. It features her illustrations and poetry.

By incorporating little New Orleans details such as magnolias, which is the state flower, streetlamps, or the Cucumber Cat sharing a Poboy with a silly pigeon, she creates positive vibes and art that brings happiness and comfort to others.

She uses multiple layers of different techniques, colored pencils, and acrylics as if they were watercolor.  

Every piece of art is different and an experiment, finding inspiration, appreciating, exploring, and learning new ways to create. 

Jennifer’s love for New Orleans began when her family visited when she was a child. The atmosphere, history, culture, the spirit, the cathedral, the market, the music, the architecture, the street cars, the food, the street performers, and the art on the fence really intrigued her. The day started with a beignet for breakfast and ended with a muffuletta for dinner. 

It’s never too late to follow your dreams.