Cover Artist Jessica Watts

Jessica Watts

Here on the Beaches, we are so fortunate to be surrounded by a plethora of creative minds; none more than the charismatic, witty and oh-so-talented Jessica Watts. Th is seriously cool chick has magical powers when armed with a paintbrush, and Beaches COVERED. is beyond excited to feature her on our cover this season. We caught up with Jess and her dog, Kevin, in her beautiful studio in Brookvale.

Hi Jessica. How would you describe your work? Joyful, maximalist. I use a distinct collage style to fuse depictions of the female fi gure with vibrant flowers, botanical wallpaper designs and scenes from nature.

What led you to become the artist you are today? My past is littered with creative pursuits: fi nger painter, fuzzy-felter, highly imaginative teenage liar, 3am interpretive dancer, Visual Communication graduate, fi nicky graphic designer and excitable New York art director. You can see the evidence of this past in my paintings. When I worked in advertising, I collected loads of printed ephemera and other paraphernalia (rubber stamps, wallpaper, old typography manuals) all of which continue to appear in my work.

Who are your creative heroes and how have they infl uenced you? I am obsessed with Candy Jernigan, a little-remembered New York collage artist. She used found and discarded objects to document her life. Her art is charming and thought-provoking. Although my work is stylistically very different, I am always inspired by her insight and creative spirit.

Cool and slow like Jack Johnson or frantic and impulsive like Mozart; how would you describe your creative process? Yeah, not cool. Sometimes slow, particularly before coffee. I think I’d describe my process as layered and time-consuming. There are so many steps to create these paintings. From precise sketches to building panels, to laying down wallpaper or sanding timber veneer, to tonal underpainting, to the broad-stroked impasto application of oil and intricate inky tattoos and rubber-stamped words. Oh, and I’d defi nitely describe it as messy. Lids never fi nd their way back on the tube and by the end of the day, there is usually paint smeared across my fi ngers and face. It’s very fetching.

Your Wallfl ower series is empowering. It makes me want to cuddle a bunch of fl owers. What were you hoping the paintings would evoke? Yes, exactly

that: empowerment. It’s about being self-possessed, immersed in beauty and connected to nature - I’d like the viewer to imagine themselves as the heroes of these painted worlds.

Your considered use of colour really creates a mood within your paintings, like a secret language you use to communicate. Have you always loved vibrant colours? I’m preoccupied by colour, particularly how colours respond to each other depending on how they are placed together. Most of the problem solving that happens in a painting for me is about getting the colour right. The Northern Beaches have an incredible creative scene. What is it like to be a part of it? Working as an artist can be solitary so it’s really important to gather a strong community of like-minds around you. I work upstairs in a fabulous building called The House of Art next door to Offi ceworks in Dee Why. It’s home to artists and photographers and designers, so I can take breaks and be social and have a sticky-beak at what others are doing. The Northern Beaches is home to so many talented artists. We all know each other, and we tip each other into opportunities. It’s a very happy club to be a part of. People are desperate to get their hands on one of your paintings. What is next for you? Yikes! I suppose I better keep those desperate people happy and make more paintings.

The girl crush is now offi cial. Thanks Jess! Can’t wait to see what you have for us in the future. •

UNIT 4, 275 HARBORD ROAD, BROOKVALE // INSTA: @JESSOWATTS FB: @JESSICAWATTSART // www.jessicawatts.com.au