Meet Jessica Sanders | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Sanders and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a visual artist I love making, it’s an all consuming thing. I want to be making my work all the time, and my work takes so much time to happen. People tell me all the time that I must be super patient to make what I make, but I’m actually super impatient and want to see things happen, so I’m constantly working. Having a regular 9-5 job would kill my ability to make the work happen, or at least in a time frame that makes me happy. Finding side hustles that either inform my work or give me the time to make has been so important. So my main purpose I guess, is creating my work, wether to sell or not, it’s the driving force. But sadly existing means you have to eat and have clothes, and somewhere to sleep, and also art supplies are very expensive. So that’s lead to the pursuit of being an artist as not just a calling, but a career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So I stack shapes. I’m obsessed with tessellation and pattern! I cut out ceramic shapes and then attach them with wire to create flexible sheets that I can manipulate. I’m very intrigued by the idea of bending and moving pattern and what that looks like and means. I am also really intrigued by the concept of vitrification. Clay starts out as this malleable substance that can be formed into something, then when fired it becomes that thing. It is stone and unchangeable, the closest thing you can do to reform it is to break it. Knowing that, I am even more interested in these vitrified pieces I have made that I have now found a way to make moveable again. That’s just a really exciting concept to me. Also I think looking for ways to push the mediums we use is important. There really isn’t anything new under the sun, but we can still find ways to rearrange and make what we have fresh and exciting.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I’m an art museum person! When I traveling places I force who I’m with to go to museums! Lucky I’m an artist so most of my friends are also artists and enjoy museums too. The DFW area has phenomenal art museums! So I would definitely take a day for the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow, and the Nasher. Then a day for the Fort Worth Modern, the Kimbell, and the Amon Carter. The Bishops Arts District and Deep Elm are also places I would take them. Great food, coffee, bars, and galleries! Just walking around those spaces are so fun!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have several Art Professors that are the reason I’ve become an artist, and have helped me become a stronger artist and have given me so many opportunities. I took art appreciation at Tyler Junior College before I knew I wanted to be artist. Paul Jones was the professor and he was so fun and funny, and really made the subject inspiring and interesting. When the semester was over I really wanted more, so I took his drawing class, which I was TERRIFIED to take! I stopped drawing when I was 10, so I was insecure about it. But I learned so much from that class and just fell in love with making, so I took a painting class with Derrick White who was also fun and funny. He taught me so much about what it means to be a professional artist while also giving me a safe place to figure out who I was as a artist. I wouldn’t trade my TJC days for anything! When I was done at TJC I transferred over to the University of Texas at Tyler, where I fell in love with ceramics and met professor Merrie Wright, who has been one of the biggest mentors of my life. The critiques and talks I’ve had with her over the past years have been a huge part in shaping me as an artist. I’ve had so many opportunities and received quite a bit of funding because of her! She invited me to be a part of a ceramics artist residency that changed my life and how I create. She is also just such an incredible artist and I feel so incredibly lucky to have studied under her and had her mentorship! Mentors are just the best!!

Website: jessicalsandersart.com

Instagram: @jessicalsandersart

Other: TikTok- @jessicalinsanders