We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jess O’Brien. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jess below.

Hi Jess, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to create hues of hope through my artwork. Similar to the rest of the human race I have experienced hardships that have left me wondering what is this life all about. Where can I find comfort in pain that is all-encompassing. I have found the answer to these common questions in my relationship with Jesus and the pages of the Bible. I want to share what I have found with those who need it and from my perspective that is just about everyone. Comfort, love, acceptance and the power to change, grow, and live a life laced with hope is something you can’t keep to yourself. So I share the powerful words of the Creator of the world through my paintings.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Since my middle school years, I have played around with different font styles so that the notes I passed to friends looked cool. As I grew in my walk with God I wanted to memorize parts of the Bible that helped me live better. I applied my fonts to 3×5 cards, highlighting specific words to help me remember them better. I have most of the learning disabilities so this was a workaround to help me overcome difficulties in retaining information. When my 3 kids were very little we had a chalkboard easel that I took apart and repurposed for a wall hanging. I had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom and I found it easier to look at my wall to remember the Bible verse than trying to keep track of a 3×5 card. A friend of mine at the time saw it one day and told me I should hand letter Bible verses on canvas. She was convinced that people would be interested in purchasing them from me. This was a timely suggestion and a tight budget was an understatement for our family at the time. I went for it. To my utter shock people did buy my paintings. My kiddos were very young at the time so I would stay up late to fill orders. I enjoyed a small but profitable business that first year. When it was time for tax returns I was shocked and how little I got to keep. My prices were probably way too low but I desired to offer my art at a low cost because not having a lot of extra money was something I was sensitive to. I didn’t want price to hinder anyone from having God’s Word up on their wall. There was also the dichotomy of scripting the words “Be Still and know that I am God,” while simultaneously hollering at my kids to behave. Juggling intentional parenting and a small business was difficult for me. The deadlines for custom orders were overwhelming and I found it hard to keep my top priorities at the top. My husband and I had a hard talk about whether or not it was even worth the little bit of extra my art brought in. He came up with the idea of not painting for profit but giving my art away. Deadlines could be softer, I could bless people and we would trust God for our provision. I was so set free when he came up with this idea. For the next 5 years, this is how Abide Scripts functioned. I told people that the paintings were free but if they felt the need to give money every cent would go towards providing supplies for more free paintings. I got to be a funnel of extreme generosity. I would have to say this was such a fun 5 years. I painted thousands of canvases with God’s word. I started with acrylic paints but somewhere in there I heard about watercolor and wanted to give that a try. I was instantly hooked! I grew in my skill and love for the combination of beautiful backgrounds and the truth of God’s word in the foreground. To this day I stand by the statement that I believe the most stunning part of my work is the hope and comfort of the verses I script over my watercolor paintings.
There was a big shift in my work about 4 years back. We had friends, the dearest of friends who lost their dad and my daughter’s two best sister/friends in a barn fire. I loved those girls like my own. Grief for me looks like paralysis in my art along with other more standard heartache. I could still scripted in my journal and sermon notes like I always had but I could not paint anything beautiful. We also moved from Kentucky to Colorado shortly after the tragedy. The system of my community knowing and understanding the offer of free art was left there in KY. I floundered quite a bit for about four years. In my walk with God and therefore my art as it is so tightly knit to Him. In these years I tried digital art, decals, printing t-shirts, and other avenues for a creative outlet. When it was time for healing in my heart, God not only addressed the loss of these precious girls but also some long-term lies that had been planted in my heart when I was young. This healing, hope, and peace I received is why I am so passionate about scripting God’s word over my paintings. His words have the power to heal, convict, and comfort. I never paint a scene without the thought, “Now where do I want to script the word on this.” About and year and a half about I stumbled across a new way to watercolor. It is kind of messy and more impressionistic than I had painted in the past. This fit as God had radically freed me from some lifelong legalism and I was becoming much more comfortable with how messy life is and grateful for His grace that can handle it all. I gave the messy style a try. I can not put into words that experience. I was like someone had come back from the brink of death. Like I had come back. I was able to paint again!
I am still painting. My art has had to take a back seat for a season. It can be hard to make substantial money with art. I still want it to be affordable for the average person. My husband is a local firefighter and I clean houses part-time. We tag team homeschooling our kids. Currently, I am back at getting up early and trying to build something new. I do custom orders and have downloads available on my website. I am gathering the equipment to start filming YouTube videos. I love to teach watercolor and scripting and with free time being limited in the season I desire to create a place online where I can teach what I do that is accessible any time of day. My business is ever changing and I have learned so much in the 9 years I have been at this.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I chose this question because my business partner is God and I would love to share how I met Him. I grew up going to church with my family. A nondenominational church out in San Diego. Every Sunday school I would raise my hand to accept Jesus in my heart. I was 5 so I didn’t quite understand. Even at the tiny age of 5 God’s love and work in my heart was real. One Sunday I raised my hand to accept Jesus and it was different. He moved in right then and there. I knew He was living inside me. I didn’t understand the workings of it all at 5 but I knew would never need to raise my hand again. I am almost 43 now and life has been a whole lot more complicated than that wonderful simple moment of faith but He truly is my partner in this business. I would more realistically say He is the boss but you can’t put Creator of the universe on your taxes so I put Jessica O’Brien. He and I both know who is in charge.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My business funding was a gift from my Mother and father-in-law 9 years ago. When I was given the idea to script on canvas and not just my chalkboard Steve and Robin O’Brien gave me $50.

Contact Info:

• Website: abidescripts.com
• Instagram: @abidescripts
• Facebook: @abidescripts
• Youtube: abidescripts
• Other: abidescripts@gmail.com

Image Credits
JESSICA O’BRIEN FAMILY SHOPT- REBECCA PIERCE