Primarily a painter, Jessica Watson-Thorp plays with layering effects, spreading thick acrylic and then carving and stamping it with the end of a brush or stencil before it dries. Once her new topography has hardened, Jessica introduces yet more color, rendering sections translucent or opaque. Describing her relationship with paint as “a love affair,” Jessica extols its movement and its ability to convey feeling.
When figures appear in her work, they often take the form of butterflies or dancing women. The former represents rebirth. The latter, she says, “depict female liberation, a release from oppression, and a celebration of equality, joy, and strength.” Originally from Australia, Jessica has lived in the Middle East for the past thirteen years. It is a region she describes as “deeply beautiful and compelling”. Jessica captures both personal experiences and what she calls “the dramatic physical environment” there.
Inspired by Matisse, the vibrant colors of time spent in Africa, and the rhythms of life, Jessica seeks to represent all that is positive in the world. “I am an artist,” she says, “I am a woman, and I am inspired by life!”
