We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jes Reger Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jes, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Wedged between city streets and green hillsides, I grew up in my backyard surrounded by summer breezes whispering in the trees, the smells of honeysuckle and sodden earth after a storm, and distant birdsong on a rainy day. I’ve always felt connected to nature and Appalachia. Somewhere in those hills, I discovered my love for nature and painting, and I knew that I needed to share that with others. Growing up, I always knew the natural world would somehow be a part of my life. When I learned how to paint, I felt in my bones that painting was my life; it was a means of communication and appreciation for nature. Over the years, I’ve grown as an artist and found my purpose through teaching others to paint, creating conversation through my artwork, and making art that reflects what I love and where I love to be.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
The Painter’s Nest is my home; it’s the trails and deep forests of the Mountain State, the trees behind my childhood home, and my garden tucked between green hills and urban sprawl. It’s a collection of the places and memories that inspire my love for nature and capturing the essence of the natural world in watercolor.
Hi! I’m Jes, the artist behind The Painter’s Nest. I live and work in Wheeling, West Virginia and exhibit my art as well as teach watercolor classes in and around the Mountain State. My earliest memories of art making are of flipping through nature books with my dad and sketching the animals that I found most interesting; I didn’t discover my love for watercolor until after college when I decided I wanted to be a painter (even though I didn’t know how to paint). My work is inspired by Appalachia and explores our connection to nature. I paint mostly in watercolor, but am experimenting with underglaze painting on pottery as well as turning my paintings into fabric patterns. I recently wrapped up filming for my online watercolor classes that will launch later this fall on my website.
For The Painter’s Nest, I am beyond excited to launch my first series of online watercolor classes to make painting more accessible. I’m also excited and proud to share that I’ve wrapped up my last traveling watercolor workshop in West Virginia. In the fall of 2022, I wrote a grant to teach five free watercolor workshops in West Virginia communities that are considered economically at risk or distressed. It was one of the most rewarding projects I’ve facilitated as I had the opportunity to teach people how to paint and connect with new communities.
For me as an artist, I’m excited to work on my personal projects involving fabric design and creating a new body of artwork for a solo exhibit.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I would say persistence, networking, and giving myself grace have been most impactful in my journey. While I may have been a bit lost in my artistic journey, I was persistent. I painted daily to develop my skills, read books on watercolor, and watched painting tutorials. I kept practicing until I created a consistent body of work. Becoming a part of my artist community also positively impacted my artistic journey—I attended gallery openings, artist talks, art exhibits, and any event that supported the arts. Over the years, I’ve joined an expansive network of artists who are dedicated to fostering the arts in Appalachia. Lastly, I have learned over many years to give myself some grace. Its easy to feel overwhelmed and not good enough; often I feel like I’m not doing enough as an artist or that my productivity is subpar. I’m always reminding myself that I am doing great things, my work is worthy of being seen and talked about, and I’m allowed to have days of rest. My best advice for anyone navigating the early parts of their journey is to always grow into your practice, and practice every day. Don’t forget to give yourself grace. We’re all human, and we deserve to be kind to ourselves. Lastly, find “your people”—the community or group of individuals whose ideas and aspirations reflect yours. Those people will be your supporters, advice givers, sharers of ideas, and ultimately friends. Once you find your community, your journey will be a little less lonely.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As a self-employed full-time artist, I often do more than just paint; I’m the artist, teacher, project facilitator, marketing and advertising team, content creator, accountant, and sometimes the HR department. With so many roles, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. To avoid burnout, I always carve out time in my schedule to do something that makes me happy, whether it be yoga, painting, lunch with friends, or hiking with my dog. I dedicate time every day to do one activity that will boost my mood and keep my mind off rushing to finish tasks. I’m also an avid list maker and utilize block scheduling to block out times to paint, answer emails, prep for classes, and work on the business end of being an artist. I’m still new to block scheduling, but it does keep me on track and provides a visual outline of my tasks and deadlines. I organize my tasks by which are most important and deadlines first, then I fill in the gaps with my other to-dos throughout the week. By staying organized and carving out “me time”, my days feel more productive and far less overwhelming.
Contact Info:
- Website: thepaintersnest.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jesreger_watercolor
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jesregerwatercolors
Image Credits
Dillon Richardson/Wheeling Heritage Dan Finsley of Finsley Creative
