Jess was born and raised in a British-American family near the culturally-diverse tourist town of Wisconsin Dells, WI. Her first creative influence was her artist aunt, Pam Luer. Pam’s motivation and encouragement led Jess to pursue a career in art. To that end, Jess attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (an ecologically-conscious college academically acclaimed for its natural science teachings) and at the end of her six years of study obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in two-dimensional studio art. Jess now resides in Madison, WI where she is progressively seeking freelance opportunities and new adventures.

Jess’s artistic influences include her travels abroad to Europe, John James Audubon’s “Birds of North America”, Owen Gromme’s bird prints, the observational sketches of various Western-world artists (Vincent Van Gogh, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, and Claude Monet). She also draws inspiration from photographers that favor nature and figures, and the tapestry-like scroll paintings from various East Asian literati/artists involving natural inks and watercolors.

Jess is well-versed in photography and intaglio printmaking interwoven with biological illustration. The biological illustrations often identify organisms with special circumstances involving human interaction and the beneficial relationships that humanity needs from nature. Jess favors monochromatic styles in her work involving intricate line work, organic patterns, and layered textures; she has also developed her style into a few tattoo designs for some classmates.

Her photography skills excelled toward the end of her college career. She began by learning the method involving 35 mm film-processing and switched to digital format when she was hired as a portrait photographer. Her current subject matter encompasses: photojournalism (food and travel), life events (weddings/engagements, senior and business portraits, maternal and family portraits), commercial/advertising, documentation (artistic performances included), and other artistic topics (cosplay, fashion, fine art, burlesque/boudoir). Currently, she is a freelance photographer providing her services to Eclectic Forever Photography in Madison, WI.

Looking ahead, Jess has three goals as an artist. Firstly, in terms of her drawing skills, she is determined to succeed in depicting her concerns and spreading awareness to her audience of the environment by means of her prints and illustrations. Also in regards to her photography skills, she wishes to capture every happy and beautiful moment she can for each and every individual who passes in front of her camera. Lastly, her constant thirst for new knowledge involves enrollment and completion of a Master’s degree in Arts Administration.