From the time her dad put a crayon in her hand, at age two, Jessica had things to show the world.

Jessica Peterson is a multi-faceted, evocative artist. 

While her drawings shed light on her darker feelings, the child within her loves splashing around in vivid colors. Her digital and acrylic paintings reflect the carefree childhood everyone always wanted. She creates safe places to go when life gets difficult. 

Jessica also enjoys creating photos where people assume she used photoshop. She loves being asked, “How did you do that?” She also uses herself as a subject. This gives her full control over the image and allows her to be a part of the world she creates.

Studying art with Preston Jackson, Jessica spent 6 months on her first sculpture, creating a two-foot replica of herself in clay. Her piece “Innocence,” (pictured below) was part of a group exhibition, Celebrate 20, at the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, in 2016. 

In 2017, Jessica was one of the winners of ArtPop in Peoria, where her painting “A Windy Day” was displayed on five different billboards throughout the year. She was honored when Methodist College purchased her billboard for their gallery. 

In 2019, Jessica started creating digital paintings of landscapes. Two were chosen for the Ronald McDonald House in Peoria, IL. This one pictured below is entitled, “By the Creek.”

Collaborating with her mother, Anne Peterson, a poet and author, they create poetry pieces, art books and children’s books, including Emma’s Wish, and The Crooked House. To see their collaborative pieces and books, you can visit Anne’s shop here. All of their books are available on Anne’s Amazon Author page. 

A recent graduate of Illinois State University, as a returning student, Jessica branched out more and majored in Video. In 2021, her short film, “May I have this Dance?” received Best Interactive Media and Technology Award. 

You can follow Jessica’s art on social media here: Facebook, Medium, Instagram