We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Pidcock. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.
Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I went to college for art but started seeking out classes and instructional books long before then. I was always internally driven to practice and learn new skills, and that is probably the most important piece – determination and passion. I dont think there would be any way to speed up the learning process if you are truly invested – everything will happen in it’s right time if you’re following your passion. For me, my art changed greatly with my own life experiences and the wisdom that comes with learning life lessons. When art is coming from a deep and true place, it is intrinsically tied to your life and so will develop along with your lived experience and sense of self. This is why determination and passion are key skills – there are no shortcuts and the more you follow your passion, the better your art will be.
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’ve had a deep love of art for my entire life and ended up going to art school after high school. I got to spend a ton of time practicing and experimenting and when I graduated, I pretty quickly started teaching. For years I mostly taught beginner painting classes while I tried to develop my own style and, honestly, sort of flailed in my personal practice. I spent many years copying what I saw was popular online, trying to make any kind of money with my skill set.
Once we moved to CA and I had my daughter, everything changed and my art became something totally new. I found my voice as an artist and began teaching again, this time much more focused on encouraging people from a soul-led place to art as a type of therapy and even a source of magic. I also showed my work around town and began to make a name for myself.
All of that came to a halt when my daughter started having serious health issues and our life got turned upside down. We ended up moving to VA where I am now starting over. This time, teaching is taking a back burner while I focus more deeply on my personal work, allowing it to go in whichever direction it wants.
I also have and continue to take on commissions and other projects. I have done many animal and pet portraits, which often seem trite, but are actually a beautiful way to memorialize a beloved family member and is an honor for me. I am also currently working on a mural for the city to promote recycling. I like to take on projects that allow me to paint subject matter that I enjoy while trying something new and reaching a new audience.
My primary driving intention is to connect with others and myself thru my art. I absolutely love creating something beautiful and lasting that makes someone feel or think more deeply. I believe art connects us to our souls – it merges worlds in a language we can understand. I want to contribute as much of that to this world as I can.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to create from a personal place. I spent many, many years trying to follow what was trending and popular, hoping that would lead to sales. I also spent a lot of time tweaking what I was doing in order to make it palatable and easily understandable for the masses. Once I started to embrace my complexity and not shy away from trying to make something really real, the magic started. I was always very uncomfortable creating art about myself – I was working with universal ideas instead of personal ones. Now, the more personal my art is, the more impressed people seem to be.
This takes a lot of work that feels like it has nothing to do with art or creativity. This took me facing myself in all other areas of my life and connecting with pieces of me I had never met before. That is why this all coincided with me becoming a mother – motherhood is a constant mediation and an endless borage of personal triggers and challenges.
Art mimicks life. The deeper you meet yourself in life, the more your art can flourish.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
My view on NFTs is similar to my view on AI art – anyone who truly appreciates my type of art will most likely not be interested in it in this form. Both are fine for graphic images but the whole point of fine art is that a human sat there and poured their energy into it for hours, days, months, or years. Someone who appreciates the art I make, appreciates the texture, the fine details you can only feel in person, and the humanity that I lovingly put into every inch. Computerized images are a dime a dozen now, but the humanity in tactile art forms like painting and drawing is a magic that no computer can every replicate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessicapidcock.com
- Instagram: jessicapidcockart
- Facebook: jessicapidcockart
