Hey there, Jess Beer here!
With so many new faces around, I thought id take a moment to introduce myself.
Some of you have been around since the very beginning of this creative journey, you know, since the early 90s when Crayons and gel pens were all the rage. But most of you have not. I consider myself to be an inherently creative individual, always gravitating toward color, design, and utensils to either draw or paint with.
I'll be honest, in middle and high school, I failed almost all of my art classes. My teachers just couldn't work around my interests in exploring outside of the confinements of their projects and my need to push all boundaries further. I brushed that off, pushed my creative drive further, and began applying to various art colleges, eventually deciding on the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine.
This decision ended up being one of the best choices that I had ever made. Though leaving my family was tough, living in Portland was amazing. I had unrestricted access to the immensely creative city, its growing food scene, and the panoramic coastline. However, within the hustle and bustle of independent life, I began to realize that even though I had found joy in life, I was not necessarily thriving. I was struggling to connect with who I was internally and what I truly wanted out of life. I was lost within the continuum that is living and working in such a small city.
In 2015 I left Maine and headed back to my childhood home in Rhode Island where I became undeniably depressed. I traveled back and forth between Maine and Rhode Island so frequently that I quickly realized that the Ocean State was no longer for me, it never really had been anyway.
In the early spring of 2016, without thorough consideration of my decisions, I decided I was to become a mountain biker and purchased my first mountain bike. From there I traveled up to Carrabassett Valley to begin working in a backcountry hut, cooking for guests and supporting them as they traveled through the mountains.
I had no idea what I was doing. I've been a biker my whole life but I truly had no idea what it meant to become a mountain biker. I loved cooking but had minimal skills beyond making pasta and cookies. I had also never hiked in the woods alone, had no idea how to get to the hut, and had zero cellphone service to access google maps. (I now know that wouldn't have really helped anyway.) Read more about this adventure here!
Over the next few years, I grew within my environment and took on many new versions of what I now consider to be the "true Me". I have found a true passion for cooking and baking, as well as embraced the outdoors in ways that I had never imagined possible. I love mountain biking too. Along the way, I've met some truly amazing individuals, mentors, and supporters that I am proud to call my friends and even my husband!
While embracing the outdoors wholeheartedly, I realized that I now needed to find a creative outlet in order to truly feel fulfilled. With limited access to artist studios, art supplies, galleries, and at that time, other makers, I began painting with what resources I had. In 2017 I purchased some acrylic paints and a few canvases and set to work turning my shared bedroom floor into my workspace.
Over the past five years, I've painted my heart out, drawing inspiration from the nearby rivers, mountains, and forests. I quickly began showing my work in galleries, magazines, at shops, and in libraries. I built a website and a following of supporters who fulfill my drive to keep going. I've pushed my creative boundaries and experienced immeasurable highs and devastating lows but I wouldn't change a thing.
I am so thankful to be here and look forward to what is yet to come! My small studio practice is growing and my heart is full.
Thank you for joining me on this creative ride.
Check out my creative resume!
Subscribe to my News Letter to stay up to date!