JILL SOUKUP’S LIFELONG INTREST in art began at an early age, laying the foundation for a career shaped by discipline, curiosity, and creative drive. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Art from Colorado State University in 1991, where she received awards for illustration and design and worked professionally as an illustrator and designer for the university.
After an 11-year career in graphic design, Soukup shifted her focus to painting full-time. Her work is nationally recognized for its dynamic compositions, sensitivity to light and structure, and distinctive balance of realism and abstraction. She has received numerous awards, including Best of Show at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s Cowgirl Up! (2017), the Founders Award from the American Academy of Equine Art’s 37th Annual Fall Open Juried Exhibition (2017), and People’s Choice at the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale (2011). Her paintings have been featured in leading publications, including American Art Collector, Artnet News, Fine Art Connoisseur, My Modern Met, Southwest Art Magazine, The Artists’ Magazine, Western Art & Architecture, and Western Art Collector. She has also been a featured guest on arts-focused podcasts, sharing insights into her creative process and career.
Soukup’s work is held in private, corporate, and museum collections. She also teaches workshops through respected programs such as the Booth Art Academy at the Booth Western Art Museum and the Scottsdale Artists’ School. She exhibits widely in juried and solo exhibitions, most recently Equine Elixir: A Fusion of Beauty, Health, and Science at Colorado State University’s Johnson Family Equine Hospital (2024) and Accelerated Calm: Jill Soukup Solo Exhibition at Gallery 1261 (2022).
Gallery Representation
Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, Wyoming
Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, Kentucky
Gallery 1261, Denver, Colorado
Nedra Matteucci galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Oh be Joyful Gallery, Crested Butte, Colorado