Creativity Over Coffee: Jess Hurley Scott

It’s time for another helping of our creative interview series, Creativity Over Coffee. I’m really excited because today I’m chatting with the uber talented artist and designer, Jess Hurley Scott.

The first time I ever saw Jess’s paintings was in the Lucky Finn Cafe. I was sipping a latte and was so enraptured by her ocean paintings which she paints in layers. I’d never seen anything like it before. Fast forward to the front deck of the Lucky Finn and I was chatting to Kate (of Domestikated Life) for her Creativity Over Coffee interview and we ran into Jess. I told Jess how much I loved her work and that I’d love her to share her story here.

Well, today she’s doing just that. Grab your coffee or tea and read on for some amazing inspiration from Jess Hurley Scott:

Hi Jess, thank you so much for joining me here on the blog for Creativity Over Coffee! You are such an amazingly talented artist. Did you know this was always the career you wanted to pursue?

Jess: Actually, YES! Strangely enough, I wanted to be an artist as long as I can remember. I used to set up ‘gallery openings’ in the basement of our house when I must have been 8? However, I went to college for design as I always feared how hard it was to make a career as a fine artist. I knew I could always paint as a hobby, but I wanted to have a creative career.

You studied illustration in New York and also worked as a designer in Boston. Can you talk more about this and how has illustration and design played into your art?

Jess: I studied Illustration and Surface Pattern Design at Syracuse, which gave me a whole new set of skills where I could use my creativity. I learned how to screenprint, so I automatically started breaking images down into ‘layers’. After school I worked in NYC, first for Tommy Hilfiger Home, then Karastan Rugs. I learned how to design on the computer, went to factories here and overseas, and how to make a professionally produced product. At night, I still painted, but all of this industrial design had me experimenting. Traditional painting didn’t feel quite right, I couldn’t tell my whole story. I started painting on acrylic at The Art Students League of NY. It was total experimentation, but it felt way more like me. Later, I moved back to Boston, working for TJX designing EVERYTHING in home products. I learned so much product & industrial design. It made me so much more fearless when it came to working with materials. I could paint on anything, why not? I started breaking down images into multiple layers of acrylic and designed a framing system. Then I sourced an acrylic fabricator to cut it all for me. All of my design experiences directly influenced me.

When do you feel most creative or happy?

Jess: When it’s all new. Starting a new piece, a photo shoot that’s going well, finding ‘THE’ shot for the next painting, even talking to a gallerist or friend about show ideas… it’s so fun to see the possibilities.

Your seascapes are so life-like with the layers of plexiglass. What is it about the sea that inspires you so much? Do you paint each layer separately or work on them all at the same time?

Jess: I have always loved the sea. I grew up on boats, both in Long Island when I was little and in Cohasset through high school so it is my comfort. It turns out, water is the perfect subject matter for me. A wave is sheer energy. It can take down a building and yet not support the weight of your hand. The light that reflects and refracts through water may reveal what is under the surface but can also create illusions and distort reality. On an emotional level, we attach so many different feelings to the sea, nostalgia, sorrow, anger, peace, it’s amazing. There is so much to draw from, I think it’s why I’m still exploring it as a subject. Painting on acrylic has its own set of rules. I love painting in translucent layers allowing the light to filter through the panels. I start with a layer and build it up, then move onto another, but not in a particular order. Eventually, I double back to all of them, but as I paint in reverse, I have to plan out all of my marks. My first mark on the layer has to be the top highlight, and I work backwards. When I paint, I think more three dimensionally than two. I found out in college I had dyslexia, and I think it has really worked to my advantage! I tease that it went from my handicap to my superpower!

Do you have a favorite project? Can you share more about it?

Jess: I have had a lot of amazing clients, but one recently, struck me. They requested one of my necklace pendant pieces for a family member who had lost both her husband and son recently. They said she loved the sea, so they commissioned a pendant with two separate waves on the same piece to represent each of them. It was tiny and poignant, but when I delivered it they said she would love it as it would be her reminder of them both. I loved that it was their vision, it wasn’t tricky, it was perfect. I was so honored they trusted me to make it happen for them.

Have there been any challenges you’ve had to overcome as a business owner / artist?
Jess: Oh sure! Fine art is infamously tough as a business, but for me, the greatest challenge is keeping a balance. We have two little ones under 6, so being home as much as possible with them is a gift as well as a huge sense of stress. I want to take them to the beach, and then I get an email and need to get a piece to Maine the next day. Other than that, photographing my work is a challenge! Taking pictures of a 3D painting doesn’t do it justice, you loose all the depth. Meanwhile, photographing the piece without having the glare of the glass is an added element that makes my work a little more complicated than the average painting. Always looking for new ways to shoot.

Who or what inspires you?

Jess: People who are fearless in their craft inspire me. Ashley Longshore is a NOLA artist who is a baller. Love her. I also adore creatives who network with each other. Jill Rosenwald is an awesome Boston ceramicist who has run a network of women designers for over a decade, Design Salon. I love her and all the Salonistas.

Can you tell us more about the area you create in? What’s it like? What are your essentials your artwork?

Jess: My studio space is a room off of our bedroom in our home. With a little one who still naps, it makes a huge difference in how much I can work. It’s not a dream studio, nor Pinterest love-able, and not nearly as much room as I’d like, but it has nice light, especially in the winter. I have my drafting tables, easels, lots of moveable lights to work around the glare from the acrylic… and lots of tea tins. I love Harney & Sons teas and they come in the most gorgeous tins. I use them for paint brushes, tools, my jewelry making supplies, everything!

How has social media impacted your business? How has it impacted your art?

Jess: It is a double edged sword. I have definitely fallen victim to the enormous time suck that is social media where I blink and then wonder what I was doing in the first place? On the bright side, I find Instagram fabulous for networking with other artists and little inspirations. I have followers and I follow people all over the world, and we have real comments and questions for each other. As a painter, my work is pretty solitary, so it’s a really great way to feel a connection to the world. Social media has opened a lot of doors in terms of marketing and exposure for artists in general. It’s amazing, and it is changing some of the ways people buy art. 10. What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? Even a full time artist doesn’t just create. It’s a business and meetings, taxes and invoicing still has to be done by someone and you need to make time for that. There is nothing shameful in being a smart business person and an artist. Also, don’t underestimate what your day job can bring to your artwork while you are still figuring out your voice. Hopefully, it’s somewhat creative, but even if the only positive is you can buy supplies and work in your free time, money stress is a huge inspiration killer.

Growing up I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO. At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions:

What is your favorite word? Serendipity, it sounds cool and when it happens it’s feels like magic.

What is your least favorite word? Mushy

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Other makers and their ideas. All sorts of creativity inspires me. Being around motivated people is contagious and creativity is not limited to artistic production, it could come from anywhere! Food, music, journalism, parenting… anywhere someone is passionate about what they are doing.

What turns you off? Fear of failure or too much routine.

What is your favorite curse word? ‘Shizzel’… with 2 littles around it has saved me a few times!

What sound or noise do you love? Lapping water on the inside of a boat or my little girls giggling together (especially when they think I’m not there).

What sound or noise do you hate? Silence, I grew up in a large family, it makes me nervous.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I love interior design, so some kind of related custom work. I also love big weather, so maybe storm chase?

What profession would you not like to do? Call Center work, IRS work, anything with strict procedure and a script.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Oh good, you’re here! Happy hour is just starting!

A huge thank you to Jess for joining me today. Isn’t her artwork so amazing and so different. I LOVE the sea and the waves and she just captures it’s beauty, magic, and power so beautifully. I appreciate her sharing so much of herself. I think this goes without saying but Jess’ work would make such gorgeous gifts for the holidays.

Be sure to follow along with Jess on social media:

Website * Instagram * Facebook * Twitter

If you’d like more Creativity Over Coffee you can read the full series here

*All photos courtesy of Jess Hurley Scott.