Featured artist: Jess Wathen
Deathblow, 12x16, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Jess Wathen is a unique talent whose glowing oil paintings of wildlife blend masterful brushwork and texture. Inspired by comic book, video games, and metal music, Jess's work captures the balance between reality and imagination.
Behind Brown Eyes, 10x10, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Your earlier work focused on portraiture, capturing the nuances of human expression. What inspired your shift to wildlife art, and how has this transition influenced your artistic process and storytelling approach?
Wildlife serves well as a universal language and has a kind of symbolism that effectively crosses barriers. Animals are widely recognized and understood in art and storytelling; humans are all about our stories.
These symbols can transcend language, allowing viewers from different backgrounds to interpret the artwork with similar emotional responses. Human subjects are often influenced by factors like race, gender, age, or attire. On the other hand, animals are more neutral in this regard, making them more accessible to a broader audience.
That’s not to say human figures and expressions can’t be, but I feel wildlife offers a layer of depth that resonates more with people. With that said, I will revisit human subjects for my solo show with Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle, WA, next spring. So, stay tuned.
Moltin', 12x12, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Being a self-taught artist with a strong foundation in drawing, you have had an independent artistic journey. What advantages has this offered you? What challenges have you encountered?
The advantage is creative freedom and the exploration of non-traditional methods. I explored independently, without the influence of a curriculum, and conforming to institutional guidelines.
This means I was free from academic constraints and could explore unconventional techniques and ideas that might be discouraged in a formal setting. The product is something more authentic, more meaningful, and hopefully unique. Besides, this approach is far more rewarding because I am the one who ‘figured it out.’
I solved the puzzle. Both my achievements and setbacks are entirely my own. I believe this ownership fosters a deeper connection to growth and evolution as an artist. It would seem that when we learn this way, it’s seared in. While guidance from a professor can provide valuable structure and critique, independent exploration often brings about a greater sense of authenticity and personal fulfillment.
The disadvantage of this path might be finding meaningful connections that elevate your career. Apparently, institutions can expedite that process, but is that really a valid argument in such a connected world? Visit art hubs, do group shows, submit to contests, participate in art fairs, and take advantage of social media.
It will have a similar, if not greater, impact. If you still need to sharpen your skills, I’d say you’re better off paying a fellow artist who inspires you these days. You’ll likely learn just as much, if not more, at a tiny fraction of an art school’s bloated tuition.
The Captain, 5x5, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Your use of bright colors and subjects that seem to glow are striking elements of your work. How did this approach come about, and how did you select the colors and subjects that best captured this glowing quality?
I don’t know that my decision to glow dictated which subjects I’d paint. Anything can glow. It’s more a matter of the magic combination of hue, value, and chroma, which theory helps you through. I decided to turn it up a notch or two with pure color and fluorescence on occasion.
Other bold choices are more a product of less is more, and in finding ways to be quicker, I noticed near-end stages of paintings with certain areas left exposed created something far more compelling and identifiable.
In fact, I preferred the paintings at this stage more than what was final. So, between that and time constraints for shows, I made the decision to begin leaving these areas exposed. It’s important for artists to find a style.
I’d wager it’s more important than exceptional technique. (Though, I believe the best art is a marriage of the two. I did work hard in my early years to get down realism, so I was well equipped when bending and breaking rules.) That said, I decided I would further develop what I stumbled upon.
I also noticed before this process that when applying layers over bright colors a certain luminosity made itself known. When the undertone was bright and left to peek through, it intensely vibrated and grated against the top-layers. All of these neat optical blends occurred too with applications at varying opacities.
Now, being a fan of Slipknot and intensity I was all about this. As they say, the rest was history.
Toxic Twilight, 12x16, oil on Ampersand Claybord
You mentioned being inspired early on by comic books. How do you see those influences manifesting in your work today?
I did; I’d like to add that video games had a hand, too, maybe even more so. I also always respected very technical realism because it objectively determined one’s skill level. So, a blend was probably always inevitable. Video games and comic book elements may manifest in my work today mainly through the glow, clean application, geometric qualities in the marks, sometimes dynamic poses, graphic design elements, textures, and tessellation patterns. So, what? BASICALLY EVERYTHING. For instance, I might dynamically pose an animal because of my comic book ties, but I think a much more interesting take-away for the reader here would be my inspiration for glow. My exposure to ‘bloom-lighting’ while playing my favorite video games growing up was so inspiring. As defined by trusty Google -
‘Bloom is a post-processing effect used to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras. The effect produces fringes (or feathers) of light extending from the borders of bright areas in an image, contributing to the illusion of an extremely bright light overwhelming the camera capturing the scene.’ To me, this looks like a dream-like or fantastical glow.
I remember its impact on me in one particular instance while playing Halo 2 on Burial Mounds, which changed my course. (Halo fans, YOU KNOW)
This burning white-yellow glow radiated off of my character’s armor and transitioned to an orangey red as it bled into the warmth of the surrounding environment. All of this happened while I manned a gun turret on a ‘warthog,’ which was also glowing.
I’m fairly sure a plasma grenade caught us because I was so distracted by this beautiful effect that it nearly made my mouth water. I vowed to capture that in paint after that experience, among several others with games like Fable.
Laced, 16x16, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Your work beautifully blends elements of realism with abstract expression. Could you elaborate on how you balance these two approaches in your art and what each style brings to your overall vision?
Your brushwork plays a crucial role in adding texture and depth to your pieces. How does this technique contribute to your work’s overall narrative?
These two questions were answered together. I add texture as a stand-in for the literal and a tactile dimension that suggests something closer to tangible.
Chunky marks are mostly arranged and deliberately placed in my work to represent something orderly and real that pushes back against dream-like abstraction and chaos.
It invites viewers to engage more deeply, perhaps prompting them to imagine the sensations associated with the texture (grounding element) while wandering feelings suggested by the more expressive intangibles (abstract elements).
Another way this is represented in my work is through light and shadow.
Texture recedes with the light; as we move into the shadows, it becomes smooth. In doing this, in some way, we are moving in and out of reality and dreams during the viewing experience.
This dichotomy and engagement can make the narrative more immersive and interesting.
I have an atypical migraine diagnosis, which is essentially a neurological disorder. As my fellow migraineur might know, it tends to warp your reality, and maybe my work partially reflects that state.
Shatter, 12x12, oil on Ampersand Claybord
Jack at Lovetts Gallery said, “…he is the only artist he knows who can paint beautiful pieces while rocking out to various types of metal music”. Does music influence your work, and do different genres or bands affect the mood or direction of your paintings?
Music absolutely influences my work. My primaries are the many different flavors of metal. What I find fascinating about these genres is that they’re usually very innovative, blending elements that aren’t typically found together to create something unique and compelling.
A couple of my favorites, Tool and Slipknot, did this very well. Catchy, accessible hooks, choruses, and melodic segments sometimes tame this aggressive edge.
It is remarkable that complex, aggressive, or avant-garde music can be made more accessible to a wider audience without diluting its essence.
It introduces more people to the nuances and depths of less mainstream genres and enriches the landscape by challenging the boundaries of genre conventions. That’s what I want to do because I believe this is PEAK fusion that better expresses the spectrum of human emotion, albeit a little more... angry.
It takes you through an intense ride of highs and lows. It is the story of my life and a very captivating combination that I’m always striving to replicate visually.
Tattered, 12x12, oil on Ampersand Claybord
How did you discover Ampersand, and what do you love most about Claybord for your work?
My first encounter with Ampersand products was around 10 years ago when I decided to introduce paint to my work.
I wanted something smooth and rigid that could handle mixed media (charcoal/graphite and acrylic). While browsing the shelves, Ampersand appeared to be the premium offering and possibly the only offering with an ultra-smooth surface. So, I gave it a shot.
At the time, I was drawing human portraiture and adding abstract elements in paint. The substrate worked perfectly, to say the least. Surprisingly, despite how smooth the panel was, it received graphite and charcoal well while offering an absorbent quality that helped capture watercolors or diluted acrylics.
Other panels I tried at the time repelled liquids and felt like drawing on a whiteboard. Weird, anyway. I’d say that wraps up the story of how I initially became an Ampersand-enjoyer.
These days, as a painter, I can say it’s absolutely amazing for oil work. The smooth surface offers absolute control over texture, and oddly, it increases curing time. Quite the perk if you need things to move along more quickly.
Artist Bio:
A distinguished artist specializing in wildlife, Jess Wathen's unique style seamlessly weaves abstraction and realism, perfectly harmonizing traditional and contemporary artistry. Each piece is a mesmerizing fusion of intense pops of color and intricate details, drawing viewers into a dream-like realm where the familiar meets the fantastical. Jess's work is a testament to the artist's exceptional talent in capturing the essence of wildlife, presenting it in a way that feels incredibly real and wonderfully otherworldly. To see more of Jess's work visit his website, Instagram, and Facebook.
