I have always been drawn to color and texture, particularly with things that also have function in daily life. As a kid, I was constantly doodling and drawing, decorating my book covers, personalizing my backpacks; my mother taught me to sew at a young age, so I made a lot of my own clothes. When I ended up in Juneau, AK at 30, I was introduced to the magic of quilting was quite prolific for many years. That fell by the wayside when I went back to school, and in that gap time, I returned to cooking as a way to express my creative side. In 2010, I became interested in mosaic art, and it’s been a love affair ever since. I have discovered that I’m happiest when creating a piece that is vastly different from the last, either in subject, style, colors, materials, shapes, or best of all, all of the above. “Jesica can mosaic that” has become a bit of a joke in my family, as I have mosaicked bowling balls, fishing floats, vases, candle holders, random thrift store objects, even our refrigerator handle.

I love mosaic for how it brings individual and widely diverse pieces together, the final product being a whole new creation made more beautiful for all the unique pieces. I feel the same way about humankind, and strive to be an advocate for celebrating our diversity and uniqueness. Imagine how boring art would be if we only used one color, and how drab our lives would be if we were all the same!

After almost 25 years in Alaska (Juneau & Anchorage), I moved to Bend in 2014 with my husband and our 5 rescue animals. Shortly after, my mother and brother came out to join us, and now we have the most amazingly supportive enclave in NE Bend. After leaving my 13-year job as a computer programmer in 2017, and with the support of my husband, I found myself with the opportunity to fully immerse myself into my art. I continue to do some software consulting, dabble in database and web design, cook, garden, and create art… keeping the right and left sides of my brain active. I’m passionate about my family, community, rescuing animals, and being a global citizen.