We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Bellard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I completed was an acrylic painting of my Spanish teacher’s mother during high school. I collaborated with my art teacher to have the finished portrait presented to him at the end of the year. I could almost see the memories being evoked as he wore a faraway expression on his face. Then, excitedly, he offered his praise of my work and his gratitude for the painting. In that moment, a person is at their most honest, enjoying this heartfelt, wonderful moment that, as an artist, I created for them. It’s pure joy – and they can eternalize that thing that brings them joy forever through that painting. My personal works are meaningful to me, but for different reasons. But bringing that joy to others and watching their hearts melt – that is a priceless experience and one of the most rewarding things about portraiture for me. Now, my focus is on pet portraits. I have had some beautiful, elated, tearful, and ear to ear grin moments that are just so beautiful… to me, that’s what makes this art. The immense feelings the paintings can evoke. The meaning that my pieces have for others, the nostalgia and joy they conjure up, the love that is there for their pets. It’s like taking a moment in time, a beloved family member and that memory of them, and bringing it to the forefront of their consciousness again in a way that makes them absolutely glow. It’s beautiful.

Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I began drawing and creating since I could hold a pencil in my hand. At three years, I was drawing horses with just a bit more detail than was considered average, and sculpting clay “families” with eyes, noses, mouths, ears, hair, the correct number of digits, and colorful, expressive faces and outfits. My grandmother was a huge supporter of my art from an early age. It was truly her who fostered such a love of creativity in me, as she was an inventive and creative woman herself. But with that said, my imagination and desire to create was undeniably expansive and active without any prompting needed. I harbored a love for detail, aesthetics, and color, and art just seemed second nature for me. Grade school presented more opportunities to explore my artwork, and high school catapulted me toward valuable experiences and opportunities to hone my craft and showcase my work as I hadn’t done previously. My high school art teacher became a huge support system for me, always entering me into local contests and rallies. I completed backdrops for school dances, and even had my artwork selected for display on a local billboard for a campaign against drinking and driving. I knew I wanted to make a career of art, but struggled with the practical aspects of making an income. College was in the cards for me, and I explored majors that always tiptoed around becoming a working artist. Later years brought a revived interest in making art for arts sake, and my love of nature and pets became my natural focus. Almost intuitively, I began pet portraiture and making a game plan to sell my work as a professional artist. Since, I have displayed work at a local farmer’s market, and have displayed my work online via my website. There, my portfolio can be viewed, while those wishing to purchase prints can do so through my online store. I have a streamlined process for those wishing to commission me for a portrait of their pet, and this information is also available on my website. I have experienced many trials and obstacles during my most recent years of life. Just as my art business began to take off and commissions for my acrylic pet paintings were rolling in, I had to put my dream on the backburner. In 2021, I was officially diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and disability after spending a month in the hospital recovering from nerve and muscle issues. Recovery from that experience was not an easy feat. I became afraid I might not ever walk normally again, let alone paint. March is Multiple Sclerosis awareness month – and I am beyond grateful to the people who have kept encouraging me to pursue my artwork, while giving me grace and so much patience when some of my delivery dates slipped for their portraits. I am absolutely a work in progress, just like a work of art. Not all days are perfect or go off without a hitch, but I am living and learning as I go. Especially to be kind to myself, and not forget that at its core, art is made for the sake of making it – not only the joy it brings to others, but also to myself. I’m in the process of ramping back up, and have some exciting partnerships in the works. I’m very excited about displaying my work at a local pet funeral home that is being built, once the establishment is operational.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Multiple Sclerosis was an earth shattering diagnosis, and one that I am still learning to navigate. My entire life perspective changed, and I knew I must pursue what brings me joy during this short time we all have here on Earth. Despite this revelation, the nature of my MS doesn’t always allow me the leisure of doing so. What I call leisure, others refer to as “business as usual,” or, “just another day.” For me, it is a privilege and a blessing to get out of bed with the energy and stamina to work that I had prior to my fight with MS. Cognitive, physical, and emotional issues that are symptoms of my MS are constantly threatening to knock me down. And sometimes, they do. It’s just the nature of the disease. The important thing is to always get back up. So, I’ve had to learn to dial down the perfectionism and give myself an ample amount of grace. It really has been such a spiritual growth experience. While contending with my MS, I was also going through a heated divorce that really put me in a dark place at times. I have done a lot of soul searching, a lot of faith finding, and a lot of being grateful – even for the hard moments. I think any entrepreneur can benefit from refraining their thinking during trying times and when facing obstacles. This can be said for life in general as well, but I think having this strong mindset is especially important for small business owners. There is no pat on the back from higher ups – you’ve got to trust that inner voice, and you’ve got to keep your faith when times are tough. This, for me at least, pushes me to keep moving forward, keep pushing. My best might not look the same every single day, but not giving up is what matters.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My journey didn’t begin this way, but it has definitely evolved into something where I strive to give hope to those with disabilities and encourage and inspire others to go for their dreams, regardless of any real or perceived limitations. With MS, it’s a balance of knowing my body’s limitations and honoring that, giving myself grace when life isn’t perfect, and utilizing my time in the best way I can despite my setbacks to remain productive and keep pushing forward. I want others with autoimmune conditions, or any disability for that matter, to see that a dream is not impossible with a little ingenuity, patience, and flexibility. And in the meantime, I hope to always bring joy to others through my paintings.

Contact Info:

• Website: jbellardart.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/jbellardart