Part of the Crawley Creative Group of Artists and Creatives, Jessica Parker loves working in her space at Kingfisher Studios where she creates abstract artwork using a variety of techniques and materials. Her studio is located alongside the River Windrush at Crawley Mill, the former site of one of the Witney blanket factories, in a unit close to the old mill pond where the blankets were once washed. The mill pool and its surroundings inspire her art, especially in the warmer months.
Encouraged by her mother who was also an artist, Jessica did a degree in art and environmental studies, before pursuing a career in retail. She eventually became a millinery buyer for the Knightsbridge store, Harrods, which enabled her to be involved in both the design and manufacturing process, creating unique one-off fashion pieces. Relocating to Oxfordshire, Jessica established her studio in August 2014 and the unit she occupies is the perfect space to get creative.
“When you visit my studio, you will see that my artwork is extremely varied both in terms of materials and subject matter. I love experimenting with different techniques and themes, rather than keeping to one style of artwork,” Jessica comments. “On close inspection of my art, you will see however that the process I use on each piece remains the same.”
Jessica collects materials when out for walks, both locally and when she is travelling. Her sketchbook and camera are also always on hand, making notes of the “live nature” of where she is. Back in her studio, she uses her notes to create a variety of collage and textural pieces, sometimes using old paintings added into new collage creations. Items such as netting or corrugated surfaces may also be applied.
“I use a variety of materials, finding pieces that suit the theme I am building in terms of colour, or they may be completely random, adding an unusual hint or quirkiness to a painting. Although I initially use graphite to outline my image, I prefer to get stuck in getting to work with acrylic paints, changing collage pieces when they are not working. I also dribble and spray ink and use metallic oil pastels and my work frequently takes on a life of its own. Rather than trying to rectify what others may consider ‘mistakes,’ I prefer to incorporate them keeping my work spontaneous. My frequent go-to colours are strong blues juxtaposed with earth colours of burnt umber and raw sienna, sometimes adding a splash of bright olive green. I particularly like creating big bold skies and mountains.”
Not only does Jessica create her paintings using bold colours but she enjoys using black and white, both mixed into and alongside bold colours, which emphasises dark against light, providing exaggerated tone and form. With a large studio in which to work, Jessica enjoys painting big and bold and works on large deep edged box canvasses.
When Jessica is not creating her own pieces of art, she runs art classes aimed at all abilities Tuesday to Thursday morning from 10am to 12.30pm. Students have the opportunity of working with mixed media, experimenting with materials they may not have previously used. There are also workshops on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 4pm but you’ll need to book!
One student who has recently completed a series of classes said: “something magic happens when I come to Kingfisher Studios!” To find out more about Jessica Parker’s work and the Kingfisher Studios visit Kingfisherstudios.biz, Facebook KingfisherStudiosWitney or email kingfishestudios.com
