Jolee R. Klugherz is a visual artist based in suburban Chicago, IL. A lifelong lover of creating art, Jolee credits her earliest inspiration to her grandfather, H. Robert Cohen, a painter, who allowed her to join him in the studio at the Art Students League in New York City as a child. While growing up outside of Philadelphia, PA, Jolee spent much of her time with a pencil or paint brush in her hands, whether doodling in her school notebooks, drawing in her sketchbooks, or experimenting with paint or pastels in her bedroom. In addition to her art classes in school with influential teacher Fred Arnold, she was mentored for many years by Diane Factor at the Orland Art Center. She developed an appreciation of many different media, and a love for realism and detail. Her artistic focus has always been creating from observation, both from still life and the natural world around her. After high school she attended Cornell University to pursue a degree in Psychology. While in college she continued to develop her art skills by taking as many drawing classes as her schedule allowed. After graduation she spent several years working outside of the art realm, but missed being creative and returned to school to pursue a Master's Degree in Art Education.  Jolee spent the next two decades raising her two daughters and teaching art to children and adults in media ranging from pottery to drawing, hoping to impart her love of art and the importance of observation to all of her students. In December of 2022, when she and her family relocated to the Chicago area, Jolee decided to focus on developing her own artwork full-time.  A strong believer in lifelong learning, she also began working with notable Chicago portrait painter Michael Van Zeyl at the North Shore Art League to improve her oil painting and portrait drawing skills. Jolee's artwork continues to evolve but continues to showcase the objects around her that spark her creativity and curiosity. She immerses herself in her subject matter, striving to understand the nuances of what she is drawing. She places great importance on the visual and emotional impact each subject has on her, fully engulfing herself in the creative process on each piece. 
Jolee, her husband Seth, and their two daughters love to travel and appreciate art around the country and the world. Their particular love for the desert southwest often emerges in her work. She appreciates that her family supports her artistic endeavors and that they all tolerate, and even encourage, her frequent stops to explore potential subject matter during their travels.