Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Pisano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

“If you observe nature closely, there’s a dance in every tree, a song by every bird, and a story behind each ocean wave — countless gestures and poses in nature’s landscape; ever-changing yet timeless — inspiring me to capture these moments through painting.” ~ Jessica Pisano

When I was an art student, I remember graduation looming and feeling naively confident that I had all the tools I would need to make it as an artist. Yet a rather important question remained unresolved: What am I going to paint? What story am I going to tell?

The struggle to find my artistic voice persisted for some time while I experimented with various subject matters and concepts. I wasn’t unhappy in my pursuits, but there was something missing from the equation, a lack I couldn’t fully describe. Every so often I would wonder, what am I trying to say through paint? Why is it that certain paintings speak to me while others do not? I eventually found my answer, through a side door of sorts, by asking myself a seemingly unrelated question: If I were not an artist, what would I do? What field of work would I want to pursue? The response was immediate and singular; I would want to work in the field of nature conservation. One of the things I loved as much as painting was being out in nature. It was one activity that competed for my time, and attention. With that revelation, a lightbulb went on, and I knew that if I combined my passion for painting with my passion for nature, I would strike a balance I only heretofore imagined. I would be blessed with not only a perpetual and enduring source of inspiration, but also a fierce and never-ending desire to paint. The quote by the 13th Century Persian poet known as Rumi came to mind, only now with a depth and meaning I had not previously recognized: “Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do.” And since that time of realization, that is just as it has been — I have not faltered with uncertainty or imbalance since. I love telling these stories influenced by the allure that nature has over me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

BIO:

Inspired by nature, Jessica Pisano’s interest in art began at a young age. She pursued her passion for the arts at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1999 with a BFA in Drawing and Photography. During her junior year at Lewis and Clark, Pisano participated in a year abroad program to study fine art at the Lorenzo de Medici School in Florence, Italy. In 2002, she earned a Masters in Arts Administration from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Pisano has had numerous solo and group shows. Her work is widely collected in both private and public collections around the world.

PROCESS:

My paintings are both abstract and representational. I use the traditional indirect painting techniques of the Old Masters by applying oil paint in many translucent layers giving my subjects (birds and trees) a highly rendered appearance. As a contrast, I use contemporary techniques to create the background of the paintings in which paint is loosely applied in an intuitive manner. The combination of these techniques from both the past and the present is intriguing to me as it creates a unique juxtaposition of styles.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

If I were able to go back and talk to my younger self (right at the beginning stage of my journey as an artist), I would tell her to get out there an ask questions and pick the brains of established artists that you admire. I jumped head first into the pursuit of being an artist during my mid-20’s without fully utilizing all of the resources that I could have. I had the mentality that I could just figure it all out on my own as I go along, but if I have learned anything over the following 20 years of being a professional artist, that’s not the best way of going about it! Making connections with professionals in your field and asking questions early on is so important. Mentors are a huge asset when beginning the journey as a creative individual. I can’t emphasis that enough.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I get to do what I love for a living.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jessicapisano.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessicapisanoart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessicapisanofineart

Image Credits
Michael Eudenbach