“I aim to create vivid works on the brink of ‘garishness’ but still trying to manage a sense of balance and joyful serenity.”
Exploring Color and Texture in Abstract Painting
Jessie Woodward is an abstract painter based in Bristol, who studied Fine Art/Art History at Plymouth University and graduated in 2007. Before transitioning into a full-time professional artist, she worked in the community arts sector and Gallery Education in London.
Throughout her artistic career, Jessie has demonstrated a strong affinity for color and texture, boldly experimenting with daring color combinations and innovative mark-making techniques. Her willingness to remain open to new processes and artistic approaches has greatly influenced the development of her abstract paintings.
Having been exposed to various forms and possibilities of art from a young age, Jessie’s artistic vision has been shaped by frequent visits to galleries and access to different materials. She has made a conscious effort to unlearn the societal and educational “rules” about creating art and trusts her intuition, aiming to avoid overthinking the end product and allowing the creative process to be enjoyable.
Creating an Immersive World of Color and Form
Jessie Woodward has a deep passion for exploring the interplay of color in her artwork. She creates bold abstract paintings that delve into the language of paint, color, and mark-making. With a focus on the process of putting paint to surface and mixing colors, she uses a range of drawing materials to diversify her mark-making. Her go-to medium is acrylic paint, but she also incorporates Posca pens, oil bars, and pencils to create a unique visual language.
Jessie works across a wide range of canvas sizes, from small 15cm squares to expansive 4m+ canvases. Her creative process requires her to let go of societal constraints around perfectionism and embrace the unbridled creativity of childhood mark-making.
Her approach is intuitive and immersive, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the exploration of color and form. This methodology helps her achieve a richness of expression and fluidity of movement that infuses her work with a palpable sense of joy. Ultimately, it is this sense of rhythm and contentment that drives her passion for abstract art.
Dreaming of Infinite Space for Extra-Large Works
Jessie Woodward loves her garden studio, which is quite spacious, but she desires an even larger space. Working with bold colors, natural daylight is crucial for her to see her creations clearly, especially as she frequently employs fluorescent paint, which is difficult to photograph. Additionally, Jessie envisions an infinite amount of space that would allow her to produce enormous canvases exceeding 5 meters. In fact, she dreams of having room to create extra-large works of up to 4mx4m.
In her artistic process, Jessie Woodward finds inspiration from her surroundings, emotions, and personal preferences. Her creative work is instinctive and draws from various factors, including her relationships and physiological state. She derives inspiration from the colors she observes in her everyday life, experimenting with mixing and exploring her artistic tools.
Each piece Jessie creates serves as a catalyst for the next, building upon recurring themes such as color combinations and patterns. She often returns to certain shapes, such as ovals and semi-circles, which she finds particularly appealing due to the fluidity and elegance of the arm movements involved in their creation.
Embracing Boldness in Abstraction with a Serene Sense of Harmony
In her artistic endeavors, Jessie Woodward has always been drawn to abstraction. However, over time, she has developed a greater confidence in her use of color and mark-making. She has learned to shed her fear of boldness and embrace a more expansive scale, resulting in works that are more vivid and chromatically diverse. Her aim is to strike a balance between an exuberant use of color and a serene sense of harmony, often pushing the limits of “garishness” while still managing to maintain a sense of equilibrium in her pieces.
The artist has a particular selection of paintings that are her favorites and remain hung on her walls. Alongside these treasured pieces, there exists a group of works that she has yet to part with, despite their lack of artistic merit, as they serve as important milestones in her growth as an artist.
Gazing upon her most sizable paintings fills Jessie with an immense sense of pride and satisfaction. These pieces carry a palpable impact on their surroundings and leave a lasting impression on those who view them, whether their response be positive or negative.
