We had the good fortune of connecting with Janelle Jex and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Janelle, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued an artistic career because art is my biggest passion in life! I work with various forms of art including; painting, sculpting, drawing, creating SFX makeup looks, body painting, sewing and more. I’ve been an artist ever since I was a child and I was always working on different creative projects. This hasn’t changed one bit! If I’m not creating art, I’m brainstorming my next piece. Art enriches the soul and my life wouldn’t be the same without it!!
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is unique and sometimes challenging to describe. I create dark, gory and macabre art and makeup looks as well as cute and colorful big-eyed creatures. I love the juxtaposition of the two very different styles! When it comes to achievements with my art, my proudest moment was getting the incredible opportunity to have six custom toys I created on display internationally at ToyCon London in 2016.
Art has been a lifelong passion of mine and I started creating art as a small child. As I grew older, I experimented with different media and expanded my knowledge on various art forms. In college, I took a few art classes and heard about the Dallas art scene through a fellow classmate. I entered my first ever local art show at 21, met some of the most amazing and talented artists, and it was history from there! Discovering the Dallas art scene opened up new and exciting opportunities for me. I was able to participate in more local art shows as well as shows in other states and internationally!
My journey has consisted of a lot of hard work and obstacles along the way. I suffer from a chronic illness (a heart condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) so I don’t always have the energy to do much let alone create. Despite these challenges, I power through and create art as often as I can! Having a chronic illness has taught me to never take anything for granted and that staying positive and not giving up is key.
I want the world to know that I pour my entire heart, soul and energy into every piece I create. Everything I create is made with love. I want people to know that even with physical health challenges, they can stay positive and determined to reach their goals and dreams.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a best friend from out of town was here in Dallas visiting, I’d take them to the arts district. There are so many amazing art museums here like the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Contemporary, the Nasher Sculpture Center and more! We would explore the city together, go to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and visit other museums like the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. I’m a pretty laidback person, so for food I’d pick places that had tasty dishes but were casual. We would also venture outside the city to more obscure locations to find peaceful nature to hike around in.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family deserves a massive shoutout for being so supportive throughout my artistic journey! My parents are so encouraging, loving, caring and hard-working. They inspire me to stay motivated and have taught me that through hard work and determination I can achieve my dreams and goals in life! My brother and his wife and kids inspire me as well with their creativity and talents. My boyfriend is very loving, encouraging and supportive of me on my artistic journey and enjoys seeing every project I’m working on. The Dallas art scene also deserves a shoutout for welcoming me to be a part of their amazing community nearly eight years ago! The level of creativity in Dallas is through the roof and I feel honored to know some of the most talented artists around.
Instagram: Instagram.com/janellejexart
Twitter: Twitter.com/janellenicole91
Facebook: Facebook.com/janellejexart
Youtube: YouTube.com/janellejexart
Image Credits
1) My face paint of half “Other Mother” and half “Gory Coraline”, 2) Posing with my work at my very first art show, Urban Legends: Art Hunger, 3) Posing with my artwork at a RAW Dallas art show, 4) A snippet from the Citizens’ Advocate of an article my brother Shaun Jex wrote about my art being on display at ToyCon London, 5) My piece “Adventure is Out There” (inspired by the movie UP) that I created for a Vinyl Thoughts Art show, 6) A collage of my custom toys, shoes and mouse ears, 7) A collage of my SFX makeup work and body painting, 8) A collage of more of my custom toys, body painting and SFX makeup work, 9) My Beetlejuice Skull makeup look that I created on myself
Love Janelle! She’s absolutely incredible and very sweet. So happy for her getting recognition. Her art is inspiring.