Jessie Mack is a 24-year-old artist in Tri-Cities, Washington. She specializes in portraits and the use of color through acrylic paint on canvas.
Seattle Refined: How long have you been creating? What mediums do you work with?
Mack: I have been a self-taught artist ever since I could pick up a pencil! I like to experiment with lots of different mediums and types of art, but I currently love to create portraits with acrylic paint on canvas. I also love adding a bit of metallic accent!
Can you tell us about your artistic process and how the different stages work into it?
My artistic process always starts with a concept, which can range from very broad or very specific. Once I have an idea in my head, I’ll sketch what I have in mind a few times until I’m ready to translate it to a bigger canvas. I do an initial sketch on the canvas, and then I go in with my acrylic paint. I really enjoy using lots of bright colors and incorporating them into a subject to showcase the shadows and highlights in their face or body. This is my favorite part, as I can just turn my brain off and get lost in adding little details for hours. It never feels done until it all clicks and comes together!
Tell us about where your inspiration for your art comes from.
My inspiration can come from many places! It could be a piece of media, an emotion, a season, a color or anything that sparks an idea. I love working with emotion and color, so you’ll see a lot of that in my work. Painting a portrait, either of a real person, character or just someone I made up in my head, is always so interesting. I love studying their expressions and the details of their face.
I especially love when people tell me what emotions or concepts they take away from my work. It’s amazing to me that people can find such interesting ideas in my work, and it has even sparked inspiration for new pieces.
Do you have one piece that means more to you or is extremely special to you?
I have so many pieces that are really special to me, but one in particular that I love so much is a portrait I did in 2020. It was my first portrait I had done in a while, and creating it really inspired me to explore my current style more and more. I owe all of my favorite work to that painting, and I’m still so proud of it.
What experiences in your life have affected your art the most?
I think for me, it’s always been about being in awe of the beauty and creativity I see in the world and yearning to make something tangible out of that feeling. That beauty can come in so many forms: through people, places, ideas, conversations, the list goes on. Art has always been sort of an escape for me as well. When life feels out of sorts, I always have something to come back to that makes me feel simultaneously excited and at peace. Creating has always been, and will always be, an amazing outlet for me to express myself, my feelings and my ideas.
If we want to see more of your work, where should we go to find it?
I have an Instagram account, @jessiemackart, which is the only platform I am sharing my art on for now!
What is next for you? Anything you’re working on right now that you’re really excited about?
I am excited to expand into my local art community and get to know more artists out there! I’m also eager to get some of my newest ideas on canvas, while also studying new art styles, like anatomy and still life.
Lastly, how do you take your coffee? (We ask everyone!)
I love this question! Right now, my favorite way to drink coffee is an iced Americano with house-made vanilla syrup and a splash of cream. It changes often, though; I really love coffee.
About ‘Artist of the Week’: This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you’re wondering just what constitutes art, that’s the beauty of it; it’s up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.
