EXPRESS MY OWN EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE USE OF COLOR, TEXTURE, AND COMPOSITION.

When asked why a person would buy an expensive work of original art, Wachter replied, “A piece of art can make or transform a whole room. It is something that is only yours. There is not another one out there. There is also the depth and feelings behind it; it is hand crafted. And I think there is something that moved you with that particular piece. You see something that you don’t want to live without. Sometimes it can’t be explained, why you connect to a piece.”

Wachter has two pieces of her own art which she has never sold. “I kept the biggest piece from my senior show,” she said. “And also a smaller piece that I hated. I worked on it for a long, long time and in the end I fell in love with how it turned out. I couldn’t let it go. I still have those two pieces; they are hanging in my home.”

Wachter, who has been asked to do a TED talk in Des Moines, Iowa, will be painting on stage and talking about her passion to help people realize the artist inside. “We are all born with gifts,” Wachter said with enthusiasm. “Everyone is an artist. Most people forget they are artists. I want to remind them. We are all capable to make a difference in the world. I am making art, but I also want other people to find underneath what their artist is and to give that to the world. We were designed to do this. It’s like a calling in life. The key is discovering your gifts. Not letting fear get in the way. Fear of what people tell you you should do or you can’t do.”

Wachter is involved in the FM area. She consults for ecce Gallery and serves on the NDSU Bison Arts Alumni Board as well as the Visual Arts Support Team at NDSU. She co-chaired the Bison Arts Gala for the last two years. She is a part of the young, urban, downtown scene planning and helping execute various events such as the Midnight Brunch, and Fargo’s Great Gatsby Party, and has done volunteer work with TEDxFargo and with the Misfit Conference.

One of Wachter’s favorite quotes is from Picasso who said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Wachter is finding her way to do this. “Being an artist isn’t an easy or a paved path,” Wachter said. “I worked really, really hard. I am my own business. I couldn’t have predicted how my life and art work would turn out, but I did see at a young age that people liked my work. That I could transform what other people see.

I don’t believe in luck, it’s hard work, but still I’ve been very blessed.”

For the past two years, Wachter has worked with the CHARISM Neighborhood Support Center’s Faces Project. “I taught self-portrait art to middle school students. They were girls who were new immigrants and still had language barriers. The girls drew pictures of themselves. How they saw themselves and how they wanted other people to see them. They developed creativity, self-esteem, and confidence. It was very exciting to be a part of their lives and to see them transition into living in the U.S. and the new cultural patterns that surround them. Their energy overflows into the art work I am producing.”

“The Fargo community has been exceptionally supporting of me as a young artist,” Wachter said. “I’ve had amazing mentors who have truly helped me grow throughout the past few years.” Her largest commissioned art piece so far came when West Acres Mall asked her to be a part of their permanent Regional Showcase collection. She painted seven oil paintings, sized eight feet by four feet, which were then converted into a permanent tile installation. Wachter’s art can be seen around the Fargo community in various places such as Starion Financial, Gate City Bank, Dawson Insurance, and the Kilbourne Group.

Wachter said she’d love to obtain her master’s in Fine Arts, or complete an internship with an artist, perhaps a residency. “I’d love to travel more,” Wachter said. “But no matter where my future leads me, I’ll always be grounded here in North Dakota.”

“I’m so fortunate to follow this path,” Wachter said. “Being an artist is not like holding down a regular job. It’s a roller coaster up and down but there is also a freedom to my work. No one is holding me back. No one says you can’t do this or you have to do that. I have a lot more growing to do. It’s an exciting time in my career. Even though I don’t always know the details of my path, when I’m honest, I like it that way.” [AWM]

To see more of Wachter’s art, visit her website jessicawachter.com.