Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lucido.
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have had such a love of the arts! I was raised around creatives and was exposed to various art forms at a young age. That early exposure and appreciation I gained, confirmed my desire to do something creative myself. In school, I always loved taking art classes. Having those moments to be creative and to make something beautiful was always the highlight of my day! And learning about artists and their processes was endlessly interesting to me. Then, after high school, I dabbled around with various creative paths from filmmaking to fashion design/merchandising, modeling, I even went to hair school briefly! But none of it really stuck. Then for a long time, I was mostly just an art appreciator, not much of an artist myself aside from the occasional bout of inspiration. During the pandemic in early 2020, I had lost my job and was really struggling to find another. At this point, I had nothing but time! So, I decided to take a couple of painting courses online to learn some new techniques and began experimenting. There was a lot of trial and error, to say the least. But I loved every second of it! Over time, I started gaining confidence in what I was doing and started to show my work online, and began to submit some of my paintings to various art shows around Houston. It’s been such a fun journey!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s always struggles! As with anything, there’s dealing with rejection and being able to confidently overcome that. But I think the main struggle I’ve dealt with is more internal. I can be very critical of my own work, so knowing when a painting is finished and being pleased with the final product can be quite tough for me at times. Most of my paintings have transformed multiple times before I finally consider them finished!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in abstract painting! My work is very personal and very in the moment, and I think that’s what makes it so unique. I almost never go into starting a painting with a vision in mind. I let the paint do what it’s going to do, so to speak. I get into the zone and see where it goes. What you end up seeing on the canvas is a physical representation of my thoughts and emotions in that specific moment.
I’d say that I’m most proud of the fact that I had the confidence to put my work out there and that people actually wanted to see it!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
Oh absolutely! You can plan all you want, but you never know what’s going to happen in life. And as cliche as it sounds, life truly is way too short to not do what you want to do. I think we can get caught up in being scared to put ourselves out there or worrying about what others may think, but you just can’t do that. You have to do what makes you happy because you’ll always regret the things you didn’t do more than anything you’ve done!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jlucidoart
