We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Brass a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
When I look back on my childhood, one thing that stands out most is the grace and patience my parents showed whenever I became interested in something new. Whether it was sports or the arts, they never pushed their own ambitions onto me. They asked questions, listened, and shaped their encouragement around what was in my own heart.
I remember even way back in high school, there was a week where I was trying out all kinds of new hobbies. One afternoon, I saw a girl playing tennis on TV and told my dad I wanted to give it a try. The very next day, he showed up with two used tennis rackets and said, “Okay, let’s go.” We played for about twenty minutes before I realized it wasn’t for me. He just smiled and said, “Glad you tried it,” and that was that. I haven’t picked up a tennis racket since.
Later that week I decided it might be whimsical of me to learn an instrument. My mom pulled out her old clarinet, showed me how to hold it, and tried to walk me through what reading music was like. After another twenty minutes, I realized I didn’t want to pursue that either. She simply put it away without a hint of disappointment.
Their love was unconditional, but so was their support and patience. They never made me feel that trying and moving on was failure, but rather exploration and that was a good thing! I don’t think you can ask for anything better growing up.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I can’t remember a time when painting wasn’t part of who I was and I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from East Carolina University, along with a degree in Creative Technologies and Photography from Carteret Community College.
My professional break into the creative world began in photography, focusing mostly on weddings and families. My work behind the camera has always centered on connection, nuance and moments of joy.
Although I’ve always taken painting commissions, that part of my career truly took off when the pandemic brought the photography industry to a halt. I threw myself back into painting, and it quickly became a larger part of my creative work. Today, I am making my biggest impact in the wedding industry with live wedding painting.
What I would want people to know about my work is that the creative process flows freely between my two mediums and what I’ve learned about composition, storytelling, and emotion in one feeds and elevates the other. Whether I arrive with a camera or a paintbrush, the heart behind the work is the same. I have an unshakable need to create and a deep desire to tell a story. Sometimes the story is mine, sometimes it’s yours.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I feel like my entire career has been a series of pivots with each one pushing me forward in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Like many business owners, my pandemic story is one of reinvention. Practically overnight, I went from photographing large gatherings for a living to working alone in my studio, creating art to sell. That whole chapter taught me the value of rolling with the punches and finding opportunity in unexpected places.
In my experience, networking has been key to those pivots. Most recently, a seamstress friend of mine, who owns Made by Anatomy in Buffalo, asked if I would paint a wedding dress for one of her clients. We met, discussed the vision, and agreed on the approach. In that kind of situation, there’s no room for error, it was actually more nerve-wracking than photographing a wedding. But with her encouragement, I jumped in.
That project turned out to be one of the coolest experiences of my whole creative career, and we’re already exploring ways to collaborate again. If I hadn’t learned to pivot, to apply my painting skills in a completely new way, I might have been too intimidated to say yes. I’m so glad I did.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Support your artist friends! And I don’t just mean by buying their work, though that’s always appreciated, it can be as simple as sharing their content, telling others about them, or engaging with what they create. I know so many talented people whose art I wish the world could see but their followings are small or they feel like they are constantly fighting the algorithm. It can be so discouraging.
There are countless artists with truly unique voices, and sometimes all it takes is one share, one introduction, or one moment of amplification to connect their work with someone who needs it. Supporting the creative ecosystem isn’t just about money, it’s about helping those voices be heard.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jessicabrass.com and www.commondovephotography.com
- Instagram: @jessbrassart and @commondove
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/commondovephotography and https://facebook.com/jessbrassart
Image Credits
Main photo & Black and white photo by: Cecilia Denise Photo Co; Photo with painted gown by Aly Eagan of Made by Anatomy; Photo of me taking photographs by Zena Underwood; all others are my own.