Jessica Turner Page

"MY DAUGHTER LED ME BACK TO MY PASSION."

Jessica “Turner” Page was drawn to art at a young age. Naturally loving the creativity that comes with sketching, painting, and coloring – it all made her happy. And she had a mother who would sit and color and paint with her. Turner enjoyed taking summer art classes as a child, and from there, her love of art grew. She sought out art electives throughout middle and high school and decided to pursue art as her major in college. Once Turner graduated, she said she came to a standstill with her artwork. “What had I done? I was $40,000 in debt and only had a piece of paper saying Bachelor of Fine Arts to show for the past four years,” Turner wrote in a post on her website, jtpageart.com. Turner decided to go to school again – this time choosing a different field that would afford to pay her bills. “I came to realize sometimes your passion and the ability to make a living weren’t always on the same page.” Her new career and life took hold. And her love of art took the back seat. Years later, complete with a house, husband, and supportive family, Turner knew she was suppressing her love of painting. It was through having her baby, Delainey, that Turner birthed the intense love and connection mothers feel. Delainey inspired Turner to return to her love of painting: “It felt right.” And Turner wanted to paint more. She prayed and sought counsel from

God. “He gave me a husband, a daughter, and a family that inspires me to do what I love. He wouldn’t have given me these blessings if I wasn’t supposed to at least try a new path, right? So, the time is now.”

Turner gave notice at work to start working on her paintings. “I started my art journey with some old brushes and a few tubes of paint in a spare room in our house.” And it’s working. Turner is progressing as an artist. She’s selling her artwork – well over 80 paintings sold so far and new commission requests coming in weekly. “I can’t begin to express my gratitude and pray that this path continues. …My heart is so full!” While Turner’s favorite genre is landscapes, her favorite and most meaningful piece was the painting of a black Labrador Retriever puppy. The puppy died unexpectedly, and the owner commissioned the painting for her husband. “Previously this family had also endured a loss of a child. As I created this piece I decided to add sentimental meaning within the painting that only her mother would understand to represent the loss of their beloved family pet and sweet daughter. “When I gave the painting to her, the amount of love and appreciation she had for the piece made me realize I was in the right profession. Her tears affected me in a way that I never felt through art…” Helping another through the mourning process helped Turner see that her passion could be moving for others. “I was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude that day. I cried all the way home myself, but happy tears.”

Turner’s future goals include spending as much time with family while fulfilling her vision of being a full-time painter and having artwork in galleries throughout the state. What’s more, she’d love to create a local art group and have monthly art classes to paint, discuss, and critique art. Turner continues to work parttime in computed tomography at a local hospital. Since investing in her true passion, Turner is able to spend more time with her family. And with God’s timing, she’s been able to be with her dad during his cancer diagnosis. “The God-sent path I followed was right.” And Delainey? It’s a little early to tell but she seems to be following in her mother’s footsteps. “She likes to hold the (closed) tubes of paint, and she will watch me until she wants to grab paint brushes and try to help. … Her interest in colors, coloring, chalk, and my paintings make me believe she will have the artist gene. “I actually inherited the ability to paint from my mom, as well. … She is very crafty and artistic and still critiques all my paintings for me to this day. She’s tough but honest. Mom helps me see things I may not see. So, I would love to help Delainey express herself through art and have a passion for painting like my mom and I do.”

To learn more about Turner and her work, visit her website, jtpageart.com. Follow her on Instagram @JTPage_Art.

"I can't begin to express my gratitude and pray that this path continues... My heart is so full!"