Jeanette Seijo paints like someone who remembers what it means to play. Her work is grounded in the joyful energy of childhood—bright, strange, and full of stories. She says painting gives her a way to reconnect with her inner child. For her, it’s not just about color and canvas. It’s about stepping out of reality for a moment and letting the imagination breathe.
In each of her paintings, especially the ones featuring playful characters, there’s an invitation. Not just to look, but to join in. To forget the stress, the headlines, the heartbreak for a while. Sit down. Have a doughnut. Sip some espresso. It’s that kind of world she’s offering. Soft, funny, slightly surreal, but deeply human.
One painting in particular, Cloudy with a Chance of Monkeys, captures this spirit fully. The piece shows four monkeys in a hot air balloon, drifting through the clouds. They’re not rushing to get anywhere. They’re just on a lighthearted trip, surrounded by pastries and drinks, with no clear destination. It’s absurd, warm, and oddly calming.
The painting has won several awards, but it doesn’t scream for praise. It feels more like a secret you’re lucky to stumble upon. The monkeys are wide-eyed, mid-bite, mid-sip. The balloon floats through a dreamy sky, somewhere between bedtime story and Saturday morning cartoon. But there’s intention behind the whimsy. This isn’t a random collage of cute things. The composition is balanced, and every brushstroke is part of a larger rhythm.
You can see the influence of childhood movies in the way Seijo tells visual stories. There’s motion without chaos, and even in stillness, you feel like something fun just happened—or is about to. This is art made to comfort, not challenge. To welcome, not critique.
Her characters, often animals or anthropomorphic creatures, have a wide-eyed look that recalls old animations or storybook drawings. They don’t speak, but they don’t need to. Their expressions are enough. They carry a kind of silent companionship. You don’t just look at them; you travel with them, if only for a second.
That spirit of travel is big in Seijo’s work. Not travel in the geographic sense—but emotional travel. Imaginative movement. Her paintings offer mental vacations, not escapes in the traditional sense, but respites. Places you can visit to remember that wonder still exists.
There’s also something comforting about how she mixes the ordinary with the fantastical. A doughnut, a coffee cup, a monkey—it sounds ridiculous on paper. But in her world, it makes perfect sense. And maybe that’s the point. The world doesn’t always make sense. Her art leans into that, with humor and hope.
Even her use of color reflects this mindset. The tones are bright but not abrasive. Pastel skies, warm browns, soft pinks. They echo childhood books but also hint at maturity—like looking at your old toys through a grown-up lens.
Seijo’s work is not trying to be revolutionary. It’s not about confronting systems or unpacking trauma. It’s about pausing. About giving yourself a break from the seriousness. Her paintings don’t ignore the hard parts of life, but they offer an alternative space—one where monkeys float through cotton skies and nobody asks too many questions.
It’s not naïve. It’s generous.
That generosity is what keeps people coming back to her art. You leave her work feeling lighter. Not because it’s shallow—but because it’s kind. And these days, kindness in art is something worth holding onto.
Jeanette Seijo may talk about reconnecting with her inner child, but what she really does is offer others the chance to do the same. Her paintings don’t demand anything from you. They just ask, “Want to come along?” And suddenly, you’re in the sky with a doughnut in hand, riding beside four monkeys who seem to know a thing or two about how to enjoy the ride.
