Growing
up in a prominent Catholic family from Tulsa Oklahoma and one of seven children,
Jessica found solace in art. She began drawing horses, nature and wildlife.
Her teachers realized her love for drawing and encouraged her family to give
her art lessons. She began taking sculpting and drawing at he age of ten. After
high school, she received a scholarship to Corcoran School of Art in Washington
D.C. and it was there that she knew her lifeÕs career would be in art. After
graduating she moved to Chicago where she enrolled at The Art Institute and
later The American Academy of Art..
Realizing that making a living in art would be a difficult challenge, she decided
to explore the possibilities of commercial art, which brought her to the Los
Angeles area and The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. After graduating
from The Art Center, she freelanced in the commercial field for nine years.
Opening a studio on Sunset Blvd. and forming her own company, JD Productions,
she was commissioned by such companies as CBS, NBC, FOX, FKI Radio, Paramount
and Warner Brothers, creating album covers, movie posters and commercial advertising.
"Commercial art was a great foundation for me, but my heart was longing
for a life less chaotic. Leaving Los Angeles, she relocated to Vail, Colorado
and started a new company, Art-A-Tack, that specialized in hand painted fabrics.
After five successful years and a lot of thought she decided return to what
she loved most, fine art. Wanting to expand her horizons, she moved to Santa
Fe where she opened her own gallery, Cu De Ta. "Santa Fe has a unique cultural
charm. The diversity in art was fascinating as well as it being a restorative
time for me personally.Ó In 2001, the opportunity to paint in Northern Italy
presented itself. "It was a chance to grow. I was to paint with an abstract
artist. He taught me an invaluable lesson; to allow the painting to evolve rather
than me controlling the piece. This freedom helped me capture the essence of
character and soul in my subjects." After an amazing summer there I traveled
to Kauai to visit some friends where I fell in love with the island and purchased
a small piece of paradise. While at a traditional Hawaiian rodeo, I watched
in awe the Poniolas, or Hawaiian cowgirls. Women and horses have always resonated
with me; I feel this connection with them that flows into my artwork coupled
with incredible light and color from the island brought another level to my
paintings. Using oil and other medias to create textures, I hope to evoke an
emotional response from the viewer. I believe my flexibility of brush movement
helps to give life and freedom to my paintings.
Jessica
now resides outside of Aspen Colorado and travels for inspiration to Scottsdale
and California. In 2008, she was the featured artist for the art expo in Scottsdale.
Her painting, "The Cowgirl" was chosen out of 200 exhibitors. "It
was a wonderful experience to paint and show with such talent in Scottsdale."
She continues to winter there and show her artwork in the surrounding area.
In 2010, the World Equestrian Games were on their way. It was the first time
for them to be held in the United States, and Jessica was commissioned by the
Arabian Horse Association to paint the endurance event. It was exhibited in
the new Lexington Arabian Horse Museum and then auctioned to raise money for
the youth nationals. It was a great honor for her.
Her love for people has given her the opportunity to meet and do commissioned
work for other artists such as Al Jarreau, Michael McDonald, Stevie Nicks and
Lee Horsley. She is now booking commissions.
