-Jessie, shown helping to hang her solo exhibit at Johnson Fine Arts Center in SD

How did you get started and then develop your career?
Jessie Rasche: 15 years ago I became a professional fine artist, starting with tiny still life paintings and 6×6” paintings of moms and babies bonding. I painted moms from all around the country, some of whom came back years later for more portraits.
After I got more confident and my work grew, I focused intensely for 2 years on a series exploring how animal groups are both connected and individuals. Through that experience, I learned a lot about how to define a series, paint it, save the paintings for a show, and make show proposals It was so satisfying for all that effort to culminate in several beautiful solo exhibits.

When covid started, I wanted to give something meaningful to my fans, so I started a series of live youtube draw-togethers for restless home-bound people. It was a great experience, so I started teaching zoom painting workshops for artists. I’ve found that I love teaching, and my students are amazing.
Now I paint landscapes, people, and animals outdoors and in the studio. My work sells through my studio and great galleries, and I teach live online workshops to beginning – advanced artists.

How did you develop your unique style?
Jessie Rasche: My mom is an artist and I was exposed to the creative person’s lifestyle and encouraged in my creative endeavors throughout my childhood. I went to art school 30 years ago and have taken many workshops with fantastic artists since then. I feel very lucky to have had that start with art making.
I think we’re all born with a style, but although some of that style is evident right from the start, for me at least, it is a life-long journey to developing the skills and personal insight to let my style be fully realized.

My paintings are each anchored in gesture, with a combination of abstract and representational areas, a strong color theme, and layers of visible interesting marks.
For each of those elements in my work, I’ve dedicated a year (or several) to focusing on developing that skill. Right now, I’m very focused on mark-making and layering paint.
I try to make each painting the strongest one I have painted yet, and plan to keep developing my work in that way.

Thanks for this opportunity to share my art journey!

To see more of Jessie’s work, visit:
www.jessierasche.com

Stay up to date with Jessie through her newsletter.

oil painting of water lilies from looking down
Jessie Rasche, “Opening,” oil, 9 x 12 in., won “Best of Quarry”, 2021 AIS national exhibit wet wall competition
oil painting of 3 boys looking at the ground, playing
Jessie Rasche, “New Friend,” oil on panel, 16 x 12in., 2021

1 COMMENT

  1. Hello Jessie Rasche in SD from down South here in Kansas. What a pleasant surprise to open this e-mail and find your painting story, your works and you. Since one of the galleries we both exhibited works in the past, here in the Midwest closed….where nearby are you now exhibiting? It would be fun to take other friends to see your works and tell them “I know that artist!”…;o)
    Thanks for sharing your experience, strength and hope with all of us.
    Congratulations and keep painting.
    X0, Shirley Akers, Kansas

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