Meet Jessie Tucker

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessie Tucker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessie below.

Hi Jessie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

When I was a kiddo, my two great interests were art and the environment – although, it took me a long time to realize how important both are to me and how the two could ever be combined in my life. Besides those interests, I grew up being particularly sensitive to emotions (my own, and the emotions of those around me); that developed into personal anxiety, as well as an awareness of other people’s anxieties. Years of personal struggle led me to wonder how I could find peace for myself, offer peace to others, and reconnect with the healing, natural world. Slowly, themes began to take shape in my paintings: the beauty of nature, wonder over the lives of plants and animals, and the vastness of outer space. I began to experiment more with reused materials (“trash art”), in order to remove what little material I can from landfills: non-recyclable plastics, packing foam, foil, etc. As a living creature, I believe my purpose is still being discovered and fulfilled; but, I have certainly found direction through listening to what calls to me, and trusting those instincts. From painting detailed scenes, to calming abstract designs, or reclaimed trash art, I sense connections being made between myself, other people, and our shared home planet. And those connections, small but meaningful, drive me forward and make me feel like I have found (at least) the road to my purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I went to school to be an artist and started my career as a production assistant in a large art studio. However, I chose to shift into a career in office administration after I became a sole parent to one, most excellent child (who is now nearly an adult). As my child has grown older, I have found more time for creating, even while still employed in an administrative job. I joined a local artists’ group in my area of Denver, CO, and we will be hosting an Open Studios Tour in late September of 2024. I will be opening my studio to the public, and showcasing new, 3-D “trash” art made of reused, non-recyclable materials.

https://www.flipsnack.com/EECD6A99E8C/central-park-denver-open-studios-tour/full-view.html

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resilience, patience, and curiosity are the skills that have had the greatest impact on my journey. The desire to give up when challenges seem insurmountable is, I think, completely human and understandable. But, I know from my own experience and through watching others, that walking through our fear is almost always the path to finding ourselves (even if we’re kicking and screaming along the way!). Through patience, I have been able to wait, to listen and learn, to make better decisions, to leap (somewhat) confidently when the time was right, and to believe that what I have not achieved yet may still happen, and is therefore worth working on. And curiosity, my forever friend and sister, has driven me to keep asking questions – of the world, of myself, and of the future.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

As I learn more about environmental art and art using repurposed materials, I’m excited to see what large projects can be created among a group of similarly minded artists. If you are an active creator in earthworks, trash sculpting, or other environmentally-themed arts, I would love a chance to connect. You can message me easily through my website www.jessietucker.art or through Facebook or Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessietucker.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessietucker_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieTuckerArt
• Other: https://www.flipsnack.com/EECD6A99E8C/central-park-denver-open-studios-tour/full-view.html