I am a dreamer, first. Second, I am a painter. I envision a world where we value art as a part of our necessary human experience –where we understand that being creative is just as important as breathing. I am a lifelong artist and believe through creativity we unlock the invisible boundaries between us as humans. There is no doubt that Art connects us!
All of these words can seem so elusive without the actual story behind why or how I finally woke up to what they mean. As a younger artist I spent so much time believing that in order to be an artist - I must suffer. I was unreasonably self-destructive and drowning in my solitude. I was cutting myself down before I would even try or start. Finally, I woke up and started to ask myself to be more positive, more loving towards my own ideas and see where that goes. This process has changed my life and shifted my thinking in such a way that I feel more creative than ever before.
I am a Sloatsburg Resident and creative force behind the Sloatsburg Plein Air Art Event. If you haven't attended one of these events you should attend or participate! I have joined a committee with ACOR and just recently joined the Nyack Art Collective. I want to make an impact in the art world and realize it takes a community to raise an artist!
Painting is MY passion; MY creative inclination. Paint, the way it acts, how to control it and how to make beautiful things from it is my medium; is my playing field. Somehow between all of the above - I find the time to paint. You can also follow along on instagram at jessietaylorpaints.
CV
Current Projects and Activities
2018 - Present: Sloatsburg Plein AIr Art Event, Annual event for a non-traditional Plein Air - all mediums come out to make art live!
April 2018-March 2020: Park Street Market, Art Show Curator
February 2018: Art Club (Hudson Valley): This is not the official name but I have organized us together for monthly meetings and we all keep each other in the loop as far as available events for local artists and craftspeople. We believe in strength in numbers and are currently working on a curriculum for various workshops and events to engage with the public and foster learning about the arts and crafts among our respective neighborhoods.
November 2017: Art and Craft Fair Organizer, Valley Rock Inn
October 2017 – August 2020: Podcaster: Dream a Little Dream access through iTunes, Google Play and Soundcloud: [https://soundcloud.com/bnnyrbbt-3/dream-a-little-dream][https://play.google.com/music/m/Ilsdcxxswgdv5edesaefux4gsgi?t=Dream_a_Little_Dream]
December 2013 – present: Facebook Art Page Curator: jessietaylorpaints.com [https://www.facebook.com/jessietaylorpaints/] A space to feature artists and various quotes or poetry, for me to promote myself and engage people with Dream a Little Dream Podcast, meet other artists and people who are interested in the arts.
October 2013 – 2020: Painting Instructor: Sip and Paint events, painting classes at local libraries and the Bergen County Probation Office, private tutoring.
- Bergen County Probation Office: April 2017 – 2020, instructing at risk teens through a painting exercise with their parents or guardians. Painting is believed to be a therapeutic exercise to help rekindle a lost bond with a parent. Through this bond there is a belief that recidivism will be less of a factor.
- Seven Lakes Station: January 2018: Every last Wednesday of the month I walk patrons through a simple painting in a pub setting.
June 2014 – Present: Live Painter, I have been hired to paint live at weddings and various parties in Brooklyn. I also paint live during the street fair I do in Sugarloaf, NY.
Other Experience, Shows, collections
2001: Hard Times Lounge, St. Louis MO: bar sized mural
2001-2004: Drawl Club, St. Louis, MO: various events and shows
2005: Clay Brown, St. Louis, MO: Private Room Mural
2006-2008: Art Co-op, St. Louis, MO: various shows and events
2008: Coffee House, St. Louis MO: various works on display
2008: Fielder Collection, St. Louis, MO: Bubble Bath Spider
2009: Whiskey River Saloon, Little Falls, MN: Outdoor mural
2012: Rochester Erotic Arts Festival, Rochester NY
2015: Mitsalexakis Collection, Brooklyn, NY: Bunny Ribs
2015: Zinna Collection, Las Vegas, NV
2015: Baker-Hughes Collection, Chicago, IL: Grasshopper
2016: Taylor Collection, Chicago, IL: Star burst commission, watermelons, reclining nude
2011-2016: Chatfield Collection, Little Falls, MN: various works
2017: Pancakes and Booze NYC
2017: Sue Sanford Collection, Tuxedo Park, NY, Boat Rides
2017: Ada Jo Hunter Collection: Pisces Passion, Sugarloaf, NY: The Mermaid and the Skeleton
2017: Jaclyn Marie Collection, Sugarloaf, NY: Love Knows No Time
2018: Seven Lakes Station, Sloatsburg, NY