Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Bednarcik.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m an artist who grew up in Yardley, PA. I knew I wanted art to be my profession early on when in high school I had an art teacher, Curtis May, who allowed me to push the limits of what I thought I could do. I asked him if I could draw something big and he held his hands 2 feet apart. He asked, “Like this?” I said larger. He put his hands three feet apart and asked, “This?” I said bigger. This went on for a minute until I pointed to one of the massive rolls of mural paper the prom committee used to decorate the school. I asked if I could draw on that. He agreed and got me a massive scrap of MDF to work against, probably 7 feet tall. I would work every day after school and I loved it. That’s how I met another one of my mentors, Tony Napoli. I work on murals with him every summer. I think the biggest part of my inspiration is based in the teachers I’ve had and the people I’ve met throughout the years.
I’ve been studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design for the past three years (going on four), and being in Atlanta has grown my art considerably. Moving across the country at 18 really forces you to step out of your shell, which is reflected in my art. My work consists of mostly self-portraiture as my focus is on the personal exploration of the topic of loneliness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I try to turn negatives into positives through my art. My loneliness of moving to a new city during a global pandemic is something I turned into a more personal dialogue of moving outside of darkness. In my more recent works, the yellow space that my figurative works take place in breaks open into a space of light. This light space is explored in my atmospheric landscapes and treescapes. I create a space that feels real and unreal simultaneously; barren yet somehow comforting. This work captures a time in my life as well as other young adult lives, as a phase of transition. I’m looking forward to exploring new themes in the future as I continue to develop my artistic style. My plan is to continue this imagery through moments of intimacy captured in the everyday environment. I want to explore imagery of casual intimacy which removes loneliness from the image entirely. Like my earlier work, “Baking Bread,” these works will feel like a window into a nostalgic space.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in figurative works, primarily portraits. My use of color and saturation is notable for its intensity and the way it moves a dialogue. I use saturated colors to oppose a somber image. This creates an eerie atmosphere that correlates to the passage of time. The color imitates the heavy frequency of emotion during isolation.
I am most proud of my early portrait works, “Mr. May” and “Baking Bread”. They set the tone for my newer works as nostalgic spaces with moments of abstract energy. I keep these pieces in the back of my mind whenever I create. They were created at a time where I wanted to push myself. I chose to work large not because I was required but because I wanted to see what I was capable of. I will always hold so much pride in those works. I see them and that time in my life as an inspiration.
The figures in my works have an abundance of form and depth expressed through dramatic color work and brush strokes. It’s taken me years to get to this style of painting and my images hold a certain personality and nostalgia. The space in my images is never neglected and the environment is just as important to me as the figures. That’s my secret to creating paintings I’m proud of.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
A risk to me is stepping out of my comfort zone. To me, painting self-portraits is a huge risk. It’s exposing in a way that feels vulnerable but liberating. Painting them was a risk worth taking.
Contact Info:
- Website: jessicabednarcik.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/jb.painting__/
Image Credits
Jessica Bednarcik
