Jess Park is a watercolor artist who has been painting from a very young age. She took her first fine art class at age 11, and has painted casually over the years. Recently, Jess began her journey as a professional artist, creating custom original paintings for private collectors. She is also in the process of developing new painting and lettering workshops.

@jeshypark

What inspires you? I am inspired by the natural world around me. I like to play with shapes and color, and to take everyday, ordinary objects and showcase them in a unique way.

2. What mediums do you work with regularly and why? I love to dabble in all different types of art and mediums but I am most drawn to watercolor and ink. Maybe it’s because it’s what I started with when I first entered the world of art, but I always come back to watercolor.

@jeshypark

3. Explain your creative process. When starting a new project, I like to sit with it. I don’t paint. I don’t put pencil to paper. I think about it for a few days and just collect my thoughts. When I’ve come up with a few ideas, I put them to paper and see what sticks and what needs to be edited. Sometimes I am happy with the first edition. But usually, there’s a lot of tweaking, and starting over involved. There’s always a moment of panic somewhere in the middle and a bit of relief at the end. It’s hard to know when a piece is finished. But I’m learning more about restraint, editing, and letting go. Art is a lifelong learning process. There’s always more to learn and room to improve.

4. Do you have anything exciting coming up that you would like us to share? Over the past year I wrote a book that has just been published. It’s called Watercolor Lettering and is all about painting and lettering with watercolor. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to create beautiful art and scripts, and finished pieces like greeting cards and artwork. It really was such a joy to write and so exciting to share my love of watercolor.

Grab your copy on Amazon!

@jeshypark

5. How did you begin your career as a professional artist, and how has your career evolved? When I started this journey, I never thought it was going to become what it is now. I started as a hobby–something to pass the time and relax. I started getting noticed by different art brands and getting offers to create for amazing brands like Princeton and Strathmore. I started painting and creating because I loved it. That hasn’t changed. I still love what I do! The biggest thing that has changed is that I now am able to teach others through Instagram, through my book, and through in-person workshops.

6. What are your favorite Princeton Artist Brush products? I love Princeton Heritage Series #4050 brushes. They are my go-to brush and what I recommend to anyone who asks. A while back, I was moving and came across the first set of paintbrushes I used when I took art classes as a kid. I tucked them away, not thinking much of it. I had taken a long break from art during my adolescent and early adult years and didn’t expect to use them again. But in 2016, I started painting again. Forgetting I had a set of brushes tucked away, I tried all different brands of brushes and settled on the Heritage series. I loved the absorbency, the snap, and their ability to keep a point. A little while later, I was cleaning out some things and came across that set of brushes I used as a kid. They had the familiar red handle and gold ferrule. It was the Princeton Heritage series. It’s amazing to me that even though so much time had passed I somehow found my way back to Princeton Heritage Brushes.

Jess Park

Thank you Jess, for sharing your story with us! We look forward to seeing more of your creations in the near future! To Follow Jess, head to Instagram @JeshyPark

Tags:artist spotlight, jess park, Watercolor