#sparkchamber 091018 — Jessica Maan

Today, swept up in “the magnetism of grace and allurement found in the void between people and place,” #sparkchamber is thrilled to welcome Toronto-based emerging artist, Jessica Maan. Her work captures the simplicity of the everyday in vibrant color, rapturous light, and stark shadows. A little bit of her story, in her own words:

“I’m an artist who paints in acrylic. My two brothers are my best friends. I grew up in the burbs, but now live in the city. I’m a bartender on the weekends to pay the bills. It also keeps me social. I’m inspired by intense light and shadows, bus drivers who wave at each other, the colour blue, the sound of mourning doves, empty parking lots, lonely lane ways ...

I learned how to be gracious from my mom. My attention to detail, from my dad.

I am in awe of Alex Colville and Mary Pratt, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Tracy Emin. "
 

For more art and words about Jessica, visit her website — well worth it!

1.] Where do ideas come from?
My travels, walks, bike rides, books, people I meet
 

2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I have serious anxiety and depression issues. Perfectionist and OCD tendencies. Painting is an outlet, a way to channel the bad parts and create beauty. 
 

3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare?
I love mornings because they are fresh, 10 minutes of painting becomes 20, and then an hour, and then it’s already been 3 hours! I push myself to just “show up” to the canvas, when I don’t feel like it, I’ve learned to keep going and the progress may be slow, but just doing it, makes it happen.
 

4.] How do you know when you are done?
When my eyes are happy at what I see, that feeling of, “yes! This is what I wanted to achieve!” It’s a perfectionism thing, which I don’t think is a good thing but it drives me to push myself as far as I can go before I say, ok, I’m sick of this :)