An artist who has been on our radar for a while with her abstract landscapes, layered ‘Nebula’ works, and whimsical ‘Flos’ series, is abstract artist Jessie Rigby.
We’re excited to finally chat with Jessie today to discover where her love of painting came from and all about the creative process she goes through to create her stunning artworks.
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Calling the Macedon Ranges (north of Melbourne) home, Jessie finds endless inspiration from her beautiful surrounds.
“We moved back to the country almost 4 years ago and just love it,” Jessie explains.
“There is so much to love out here, especially if you’re a food and wine lover! It’s an area that provides me with endless inspiration.
“I live here with my husband Simon, son Sebastian, our Spoodle Bonnie and Schnoodle George. When we lived in the city, we had the tiniest living space, not even large enough for a kitchen table.
“It’s nice to have space out here now.”
Jessie’s paintings are best recognised by her consistent colour palette.
“My current style is something that has evolved over the past 5 years.
“My colour palette has always been consistent and I feel like it is something that is completely ingrained in me,” Jessie says with a smile.
When I am asked to diverge from my colour palette, it’s like they’re asking me to steer off the road!
“The intention of my colour palette has always been to calm and heal.
“It’s always my hope that this is the sense my work evokes for anyone with one of my paintings hanging in their home or office.”
Her art career really took off when she was able to use Instagram to its full potential.
“I’ve always been creative and loved painting — always abstract and always larger works.
“I’d heard about Instagram, so decided to start my online portfolio and showcase it through the app — little did I know it could be a platform for selling my artworks!
“Being able to spend time building a profile on Instagram and document my art process led to more people enquiring about commissioning artworks,” Jessie recalls excitedly.
“This opened another door to having some works framed with Forman Picture Framing who have quite a large following.
“From here, I’ve had various projects such as group and solo exhibitions in Sydney, an online exhibition and recently some permanent exhibitions with galleries and retailers across Melbourne and Sydney.”
Being given the freedom to just paint is when Jessie feels she creates her best works.
“I just love everything about painting. It’s a real escape for me.
“I always listen to podcasts when I’m working as it instantly helps me get into the zone as I have limited time while our bub is sleeping. I don’t have the luxury to fluff about,” Jessie laughs.
“When I am working on pieces for my galleries and stockists, I give myself permission to have complete free expression.
“I pretty much sit down, start with my paint colours and go from there.”
While exclusive galleries and exhibitions are exciting for any artist, having her art more accessible for the every day person is a big motivation for Jessie.
“All of my exhibitions have been a career highlight, but one event I particularly loved, was creating an artwork in the shop window for West Elm in Chadstone Shopping Centre.
“I had so much interest and so many kids asking me questions about colour, technique and why I became an artist! It was so lovely to have that interaction and change from my usual painting scenery.
“Some people might feel overwhelmed going into a gallery or even walking past one. They may just think original art is not attainable to them,” says Jessie.
“This is why I love having art works that are available in a selection of homewares stores because I feel like it makes art more accessible to people who otherwise wouldn’t purchase original art.
“My online gallery and Instagram account make it a little less daunting, too. At least I hope that’s the case!”
So what’s next for this talented abstract artist?
“I’m looking into something I have been dreaming about for years now and that’s having my very own art studio. I currently work out of two of the bedrooms in our home (which I am incredibly lucky to have) but I have ruined the carpet and have managed to get paint on the walls!
“Also contending with a toddler is getting more challenging and if we decide to try for baby number 2 at some point, we’ll need the space!” laughs Jessie.
Big thank you to Jessie for taking the time to share her artist journey with us. To see what she’s up to next or discover more of her beautiful paintings, visit her on Instagram or check out her website.
