"Dogwood Blossoms"

Good morning! One of my most popular paintings is available as a print on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/243134149/print-dogwood-blossom-on-blue-background

Check it out above! Only $18 + $3 shipping.

xoxox

Jess

Improper Care Instructions

Hello! Here is my latest painting. I submerged a cactus in water and painted from that. It felt very weird, and messed up to do it. I think I may be a certifiable sociopath for it.

Heh....

"Improper Care Instructions"

24x36

Acrylic on Canvas

Looking Back is Available on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/244635607/looking-back-gladiolus-revisits-its

This is an 8.5x11 inch print from the original 24x36 inch painting.

All prints are signed and dated on the back.

All print sales go to fund future paintings.

http://www.jessicabrackett.com

The Duel II

Hello! I was flipping through an old sketchbook when I came across the concept drawings for an installation piece I had forgotten about. I had set up 15 candles in jars below 15 bags of water that hung above them with water plants growing in each bag. For the action part of the piece I poked holes in each bag and sat down while we all watched the water fill up and extinguish the flames of the candles below. The water plants wilted and sagged because they were then without water.

The piece developed from a haiku I had written some years before after being disappointed by a wonderful person I had fallen for:

Perseverant drip
Such liquidated lost love
Unchecked, drowns the soul

Deep, I know.
Highly personal, I know.

Thanks for looking!

"The Duel II"

36x24

Acrylic on canvas.

Buy prints!

Hey! I am selling "Swarm" as a print on Etsy, if you're interested! $18 + $3 S&H. All prints are signed and dated on the back. Thank you for supporting me! All sales go to fund future paintings. xoxox

https://www.etsy.com/listing/243236448/swarm-or-bees-smothering-a-sweet-pea

Looking Back

**Edit! "Looking Back" is available as a print on Etsy! https://www.etsy.com/listing/244635607/looking-back-gladiolus-revisits-its **

Hello! I started this painting at the end of a crazy week! I got hit by a car while I was riding my bike (I'm okay, just whiplash), I had an art opening where I SPOKE ON A STAGE for the first time, I found out a doughnut I drew a character on for Fight Club 2 ended up in the comic book...so basically my name is published in a Palahniuk book (WHAT?!), I dropped some paintings off on the set of Portlandia (and the art scout LOVED my stuff, even tagged 2 paintings special and wanted to see them in person right away, d'awww), and an artist hero of mine while I was in college wants to grab coffee while she is in Portland early next month! WHOA WHEW WOW...

In the midst of all the chaos I had to have something grounding, and I'm so glad it was this painting.
I got the idea from talking with Portland artist Ben Sellen (who does AMAZING portraits in pastel and oil) about how beautiful flowers and people are when they are no longer all smooth, fresh, and perfect.

Enjoy!

Looking Back

Acrylic on canvas, 24x36

My Doughnut Art is in Fight Club 2!

Hello! It was recently brought to my attention that a centerpiece doughnut I decorated for artist Cameron Stewart made it into the second issue of Fight Club 2 (The graphic novel)!

I made friends with Cameron about a year ago, so when he visited Portland this Spring I was sure to make him a celebratory doughnut for the release of his latest project, illustrating Fight Club 2 with author Chuck Palahniuk. 

Chuck is one of my all time favorite authors. I suffered from insomnia one summer and binge read his books to the point that his was the voice in my head. It was pretty intense. October 2013 I was Marla Singer for Halloween. It was fun.

So, naturally, when you can celebrate the creation of an awesome work with a delicious doughnut, why wouldn't you?

Cameron visited in April of this year, and on my 30 minute lunch at Voodoo Doughnut I referenced this photo below for the centerpiece I made him. I was so proud, it only took 28 minutes! Haha.

(This was the first concept piece to the project Cameron ever showed me. It's so great!)

Cameron sporting the doughnut I made him

The doughnut in the second issue of Fight Club 2!

Anyway, Chuck Pahlaniuk is great, Cameron Stewart is great, go send them some love and buy their books! And be sure to keep up with Fight Club 2!

Much love, 

Jessica

Current Art Crushes

Ah! I'm feeling so inspired right now. I'm working on a new painting, featuring a bouquet of flowers, bees, and hands. And I've been really obsessing over artists Will Cotton and Evelyn Bracklow.

Check out Evelyn Bracklow's Ceramic Pieces Series:













(Images stolen from 123 Inspiration)


And Will Cotton is my birth dad, it's official:






(saw this a few weeks ago in the Atrium of the Seattle Art Museum...it's soooo much better in person. It's painted really soft and glowy)









(All images stolen from the artist's site: Will Cotton's Official Site)


For instance, here are a couple of my prozaic dessert paintings:

Anyway, that's all I Have for now.

Muah!

The Duel

**Edit! "The Duel" is available as a print on Etsy! https://www.etsy.com/listing/244741594/the-duel-bees-trapped-in-a-jar**

Hello, there! I hung up 11 paintings at the PDX Magazine Art Space "Mechanical" yesterday! It was quite fun. The kind and helpful Ross Blanchard, with his 2 dashing young sons, helped drill holes into concrete and hang the pieces. I am quite excited for how the art looks in the space. The walls are a beautiful light grey, and compliment my flower paintings very nicely.

I finished this piece yesterday:

"The Duel"

20x16, Acrylic on Canvas

It was quite exciting to casually finish a painting, then see it hung in an art space hours later!

The bees theme is something I am quite passionate about. I truly appreciate whatever made me think to add bees to the flower paintings.

I hope this finds you and yours well!

Much love,

Jessica Brackett

Swarm

The latest! "Swarm" Acrylic on canvas, 24x30
THIS ONE WAS SO MUCH FUN....Anytime I got frustrated at work or out in the world I just kept reminding myself that I am painting bumblebees...BUMBLEBEES...and everything was fine again.

Off with Their Heads!

About a week ago I woke, in the middle of the night, with the idea for this next painting. I had a very crisp vision of a vase of stems, with their heads chopped off and upside down surrounding the vase.

Meet,

Cut Flowers (Off with Their Heads!)

Acrylic on Canvas, 30x24

You Can't Sit With Us

So, I officially quit the Daily Painting Project.

However, I have continued to paint daily. I'm just spending my time on larger, more meaningful pieces.

Meet:

You Can't Sit Here//

To the Weed Patch, the Rose is Just a Weed

This piece came from a memory of sitting with a group of mean, petty girls in high school during lunch. They  hated me simply because I would call them out on their mean comments about other people in the school. Needless to say, I started spending my lunches in the Library and with my Art teacher in the Art Room for more time working on art projects. I count that a pretty fair trade ;)

Oh, where are those girls now? No idea, but I hope better off than they probably are...

Iris

Hello! This is not a daily painting, but I'm definitely glad to have it finished since I've ended the completing-a-painting-a-day project.

Meet,

Iris Thirsting, acrylic on canvas, 18x24

Kale Again

Heh...so...I'm pretty into Kale right now.


Daily Painting #14

Garden Kale, acrylic on canvas panel, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Kale

Kale!
Wifi was out, so posting late.

Daily Painting #13

Kale from the Garden, acrylic on canvas panel, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Brussels Sprouts

So...I had an amazing professor in art school who said YOU NEED MORE TEMPERATURE SHIFTS, ALL OF YOU, IN YOUR PAINTINGS!!!!!!

Blah blah blah...What she meant was any good painting respects chroma, and how some colors are warmer than others, and to make something appear 3dimensional we had to respect that and mimick that (as best we could) in our paintings.

So, naturally, I completely ignored her and kept painting like I WANTED to. Heh.

However, her words haunt, and I actually heeded her advice in this painting. Most of this painting was painted with warm colors: Buff Titanium, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red....You get 'the picture (snicker). BUT...it was boring. SO SO BORING. So....I added some cool colors to the highlights, because, lo and behold!, there are cool colors in hightlights oftentimes. So...I mixed up some Hansa Yellow, Pthalo Green, and Alizarin Crimson (to desaturate). BOOM. So much more convincing.

THAT ASIDE...

Daily Painting #12

Brussels Sprouts, acrylic on canvas panel, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Cherries

Found a cherry tree a couple blocks from my house. The owners probably didn't mind that I gorged myself on its fruit....

Also, I painted it on found wood. So...found cherries + found wood =

Daily Painting #11

3 Cherries...Jackpot? Acrylic on found wood, approx 7.5x7.25

$140 + $10 S & H

Pea Pods

Here's an early, tiny one! I'm headed to a day at the beach, so my time was limited. My awesome coworker, Marty, gave me some snap peas from his garden, so I decided to paint them.


Daily Painting #10

Peas, acrylic on masonite board, 4x4

$50 + $10 S&H

Glass and Dead Iris Bud

So, I've recently become obsessed with painting vases of water with dying plants atop them. Here is a sketch for the series. It's been good research.

Daily Painting #9

Glass and Dead Iris Bud, acrylic on canvas panel, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

My Cat, Rosie

Soo...I've always wanted a cute painting of my cock-eyed kitty, Rosie. So...I went for it!

Here she is, in all her winking, cock-eyed glory.

Daily Painting #8

Rosie, acrylic on canvas, 9x12

NFS

(Cream)Puff Daddy

Ah, so cute! This one is literally the size of the foil square it was sitting on when they served it to me.
I will admit, working this small is annoying. However, it is EXACTLY the same size as the actual puff, so that's kinda adorable. And makes my roommates do a double take when they walk past it ;)

(Daylight)

(Studio Light)

Cream Puff, acrylic on masonite, 4x4

$50 + $10 S&H

Home Grown Strawberries!

I live in a large house filled with people, and a couple moved out last year right after planting a GORGEOUS garden. And guess who lucked out with some home grown strawberries? Lucky me!

These were fun to paint...the reflections and shadows on the ceramic plate were quite the challenge.

Daily Painting #6

Home Grown Strawberries, 9x12, acrylic on panel

$160 + $10 S&H

The Morning After (Doughnuts)

So...I painted the stacked doughnuts, and left them out over night (because I am super responsible), and look at the carnage! Drippy, sloppy, saggy, flattened...sweetness. I had a lot of fun with the chocolate, and even more fun with the powdered sugar. I was setting it up on my mantle, and had an irrational fear that I'd smear the powder (it's been dry for a while, so I guess I was just psyched out by the look of it?).

Anyway! Please enjoy,

Daily Painting #5

Gooey Stacked Doughnuts, acrylic on panel, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Stack of Filled Doughnuts

Oh my! This one was fun. I stacked the doughnuts, started painting, and like a blossoming flower, the doughnuts tilted and shifted and completely changed shapes. It was pretty cool. I think I'll paint the flattened, drippy bottom 2 doughnuts tomorrow. The chocolate frosting started to run and pool under the lemon powdered sugar. So gooey!

Daily Painting # 4

Stacked Filled Doughnuts, acrylic on cavnas, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Chocolate Old Fashioned

These little guys are so pretty. They flower in the fryer when they are plopped down. This one has perfectly placed chocolate frosting, yum!

Daily Painting #3

Chocolate Old Fashioned, acrylic on canvas, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

Sprinkle Cake

Whoe doesn't like a sprinkle cake? They are simple, delicious, and perk you right up. They're also quite beautiful. Sometimes I decorate them with half one color, and half rainbow. This one I chose to be simple and straightforward.

Daily Painting #2

Sprinkle Cake, 9x12, Acrylic on canvas
$160 + $10 S&H

Buttermilk Bar

I've decided for the first 7 paintings I am doing doughnuts/sweets (since I work at a doughnut shop, why not paint what I know?). I'm really excited to make sexy little paintings of boring little objects! (And for anyone who has known me...at all...I adore sweets and like to paint them, though I never really paint them from life, so this will be an exercise in remembering what REAL sweets are like, and not just my imagined over exaggeration of them).

This lil' guy is a buttermilk bar. They smell oh so delicious while they are mixing in the mixer and when they are fresh from the fryer. I've never had one, I'm vegan and all, but they sure smell good and are adorable.

Daily Painting #1

Buttermilk Bar, Acrylic on canvas, 9x12

$160 + $10 S&H

The Daily Painting that inspired them all!

Hello, friends! Thank you for your interest in my 30 Day Daily Painting project! I will be formally beginning the project Friday, May 29th. I will be selling each 9x12 piece for $160. Please stay tuned as the date draws nearer!

But for now, some backstory:

A friend gave me a lilac, and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to paint it that night. The finished painting is 20x16, and took around 3 hours to fully complete. I'm really happy with it, and it inspired me to continue with flower paintings. The rest took over a day to complete, but here is a run down of my favorites:

Wilty Dogwood, 24x18

 Fluffy Flower (Plant ID is not my strong-suit), 20x16

Lily of the Valley, 20x30

Dogwood Blossoms, 18x24

Tree Leaves (?), 24x24

I've been into painting/drawing/sketching/inventing plants for some time now. I've shown plant drawings/paintings at various galleries around Portland. But these are the most developed, true-to-plant paintings to-date. Here are some samples of plants I've drawn/invented over the past 18 months:

As you can see, the paintings are much more developed. I look forward to continuing to paint from life, plants as well as general still life. Here is a doughnut I painted for Voodoo Doughnut, Taiwan. It's a Voodoo Doll doughnut they are famous for:

This piece is 9x12 on panel, and only took a few hours to complete. It definitely cracks me up anytime I look at it. So goofy!

Anyway! Until then,

Take care!

Jessica