Jessica Marks is a painter and a photographer. She graduated from Marywood University with her BFA in painting, and from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with her MFA. Now she is teaching K-8 art and continuing her own artwork to inspire young artists. Below is her artist statement explaining her exploration through nature, paint, and photographer.

“Walking through the woods, I see a few logs floating in a muddy pond, decomposing and covered with moss and algae. The water is dirty and stagnant, filled with organisms; evidence of time’s influence on this particular section of the woods. Light from the sky reflects on the water, creating an ambiguous blue-green, looking almost synthetic and fake. The reflections of the trees sit in the water in a strange pattern that mix with the rippling of the water to form an organic pattern of dark colors. This small area of the woods has been forgotten and stepped over by previous hikers, yet I find it mysterious and alluring. I document this interaction through photography and bring it back to my studio. Through painting I further explore this interaction; finding patterns, colors, and shapes in the photograph to abstract in the painting. With layers of oil paint, both thin and thick, I create an abstract painting that brings me back outside, making me feel as if I am still being held in the mysteries of the woods.”

Website http://www.jessicamarksstudio.com/

Instagram @Jessmarksart