about the artist

i am a self taught mixed media painter. i've been supporting myself from my art for the last 12 years. in that time i've created over 4000 paintings. my prices have risen 1000%. i have sold almost 90% of everything i have created. i have been the sole manager of my career with no business background. i have shown in over 100 galleries. i have taught my techniques and ideas about painting extensively in the us, canada, australia, and mexico. i do not do commercial work. i only take on work where i am free to create as i wish and be myself. i have never pre planned or conceptualized a painting in my entire career. i could tell you alot of stories.

more then one hundred times this year i have found understanding through seemingly random shapes, colors, and markings. i find myself writing words before i understand their meaning, trusting i will be wise enough to understand them in time. magic does not reveal itself easily. when trying to see the future our eyes must be given time to adjust. to find our true purpose we must ask many questions of ourselves. we must observe ourselves without judgment. we must allow ourselves to become ourselves. preconceived plans lead to preconceived outcomes. to find something new we must move without bounds. there are no hard questions for truth.

my story is about trial, error, changing directions, persistence of ideas, letting intention guide you rather than chasing outcomes and always remembering your purpose. being aware of connections between your past and present to realize your real desire and learning to chase it. learning it is far easier to do the impossible if you love it than it is to do something comprehendable that you just don't like. accepting who you really are what you really want and then becoming it fully. the practice of painting has taught me and brought me all of this. using abstract painting to find expressed and personally meaningful imagery by letting your feelings guide you to what feels right beyond concieved ideas and outcomes and ultimately decide the meaning of finished.

for me painting is - finding treasure - what it is - what it means - if you know what you are looking for you will find it - burying something in the ground and digging it up doesn't make it treasure - the best treasure is unknown - it is true - it is a lesson - this gold is like the sun - not a simple coin for sale - this is a story you truly don't know - you write it from feeling rather than knowing - you understand it like joy and despair - not like math - as there is no equivalent. the chaos of volcanoes, the collapse of an avalanche, the weight of an anchor. the idea of buoyancy over balance. some locks do not open with keys. this is a world where candy canes grow at the tops of mountains. freedom comes from belief and choice, and all things are connected.

Visit Jesse’s website at http://www.jessereno.com