At the age of 7, Jessica encountered her first great teacher, who inspired her through the art of perspective

At 18, her desire to explore her interests and talents as a growing artist led her to Florence, Italy, where she studied for 2 years at Charles Cecil's atelier.

She returned with confidence in her ability to paint life-like academic portraits, but still retaining her individual flare and passion for colour.

“Having painted various portraits over the years, I have gained a deeper understanding of the human face and human spirit. My mission is to find and portray the grace and beauty that extends much deeper than the skin on a person’s face.”
Jessica's colour work overlaps with her portraits in the understanding of colour, sensitive observation, and the courage to put colours next to each other with such certainty and bold strokes. Some of the compositions are representational, still life and landscape, and some almost entirely abstract!

The paintings are formed over months and years of questioning and sensitive observations, and an ever perfectionist and anyalytical eye. The result of each is in her mind's eye well before even starting. Jessica takes inevitable torment and effort to acheive the desired outcome. Whenever possible, she works from life, out in the open, insisting that the changeable light and atmosphere affect everything about the process of brush to canvas.

The atmosphere and light are key - they way they fall and illuminate even just a rusty old pepper mill on the kitchen table! - even in that composition there is a subtle harmony and perfection.