Interview

Nov 17

Jess Renard

At 20, Jess explored the effects of art therapy on mental health in her Masters thesis. After many years and a few careers, including therapist, recruiter, career coach, travel agent, and writer, she took some painting courses and truly pioneered the bridge between color, energy, and happiness. Having studied art from prehistoric to postmodern style, she discovered her style, and hasn’t looked back. With inspiration from the seaside, gardens, and the playground of her mind, Jess incorporates bold movement, innovative color and texture in all of her paintings. As a little girl, she would sew doll clothes by hand with her grandma’s leftover scraps of fabric. In turn, she would design fabulous, bespoke dresses for all of Jess’ events! Her grandmother didn’t know it at the time, but she influenced Jess’ ability to approach fashion and accessory design as a visionary, ensuring top quality materials, seams, and details. Her wish was for Jess’ designs to bring you the same joy, cheer, and whimsy that she puts into each custom design.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I have always been creative, and since I was a young girl, I was encouraged to color outside the lines. I’ve been surrounded by art and traveled to many galleries worldwide in my childhood and adulthood. From stringing plastic beads together to designing and hand-sewing clothes for my dolls from scratch, creating something innovative has always been part of me. I have been recognized as a jewelry designer in my 20s, with sales from boutiques and galleries in Palm Beach and Delray Beach, Florida. However, over the last five years, I started taking online painting courses, and from there, found my personal style based on what I would love to hang on the walls of our home. From my youngest days studying the Masters to attending immersive art installations, my unique, vibrant, and textured designs seamlessly emerged and expanded. My passion for painting, fused with a lifelong love of fashion, has now enabled me to produce and manufacture couture apparel, luxury accessories, and home decor based on my art! This monumental achievement has been a life goal and I find nothing more meaningful than having the opportunity to spread happiness to others with wearable contemporary art in fabrics that delight the senses and colors that stimulate joy.”

What inspires you?

“My inspiration comes from so many places: the love of my husband and son, the colors of Alaskan glaciers from the crisp balcony of a cruise ship, the vibrant hibiscus flowers in Jamaica, or the leaves changing outside our lovely home each fall. Color palettes sometimes come to me in dreams, other times from a charming boutique or the color of a car. Sometimes, I mix colors with a paintbrush or knife and play until a design is just right. I am drawn to the most vibrant and neon of colors, as well as iridescent and metallic sheens.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“The theme throughout all my pieces is happiness. Beginning my career as a mental health therapist, I have seen some of the darkest parts of humanity. As an artist and fashion designer, I want to add a splash of joy, an uptick in dopamine, and a smile to those who showcase or wear my art. My message is to make every day count and to find beauty wherever you can.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work incorporates a lot of themes from nature and the tropics, especially the hibiscus, which is my favorite flower to work on. I love highly textured abstracts with a strong expressionistic flair, and my paintings and designs capture a bight glimmer of whatever is running through my mind: a fond memory, a place our family traveled, a song. The brightness, frenetic energy, opportunity to add mixed media, and heavy texture in many of my works defines me as an artist.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Van Gogh’s journey and works have played a major influence in my perception of art, and I love his lesser-known florals. I have also been a huge fan of both Yaacov and Ron Agam’s kinetic art, and am amazed each time I see a new work of theirs. Kandinsky’s abstract compositions have also been a huge influence, as well as Daniel Wall and Afremov’s intense impressionism and vibrant color play.”

“My work incorporates a lot of themes from nature and the tropics, especially the hibiscus, which is my favorite flower to work on.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process is similar to a child playing. I take out a few paints to begin, and by the end, I am questioning who wants to clean up behind me! I start with a vague idea and a few marks on canvas or paper (and sometimes Procreate if I am traveling or want to start a design in the middle of the night). I love to add textural medium into acrylic to make the paint look like it’s growing from the canvas. This gives a sculptural vibe to a painting. From there, I play. I let my right brain free and layer until I feel like the energy of the painting is complete. My process is very intuitive, even when I am sketching or painting something from a photo that I took, and I don’t know where my path is going until it gets there. I trust myself to know that the piece will turn out how it is supposed to, and I can always go back and change something once I step back. There have been times that I have reworked paintings completely, and only the merest hint of the original comes through. Other times, I know the painting is done. If I am smiling when I sign it, that’s my sign.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“That is such a challenging question because artists are everywhere: painting, drawing, designing websites, styling next season’s wardrobe, adding makeup in movies. Artists have so many roles, but the primary one is to enhance the beauty of space, whether a hotel lobby, doctor’s office, home, or gallery. With immersive art on the rise, I feel that there will be a more technical aspect in the future of art, and I am excited to see how it evolves. With that said, there will always be room for the traditional painter. So long as there are walls, there will be space to add beauty to them.”