Grants Pass – Each canvas is a blank slate for Jessilyn Brinkerhoff to tell a tale.
“I’m really doing story telling work in a large scale trying to communicate the story of the beauty of a certain place or the history of a certain area,” said Brinkerhoff
Creating art has been a part of her since she was a child.
“Art was always important in my household, there were lots of drawings and crafting with my parents.”
Brinkerhoff grew up in the forests of Southern Oregon and became fascinated by its beauty.
She says mother nature is her inspiration for her artistic work.
“Growing up in rural southern Oregon near the Rogue River there was such a love of nature,” she said.
She’s tried a variety of art forms but it was street painting that caught her eye.
“I’ve worked in lots of different kinds of art, ceramic, painting, casting, fabric, furniture building, but I come back to images because they’re very immediate.”
Street painting is commonly known as pavement or sidewalk art.
It’s a performance art meant to showcase creative flare many times with a crowd.
“I love the public art aspect of it,” said Brinkerhoff.
For Brinkerhoff, the audience has a big impact on how she brainstorms her ideas.
“Mostly just thinking about my craft, which piece do I want to focus on and bring people’s attention to,” said Brinkerhoff.
It doesn’t always come as easy. Her sketches are thought out well before she begins drawing.
It can take weeks to research and months to finish a project but when all is done, her art takes on a form of life.
“I do enjoy having a certain level of craft and I do love detail” “every time I do a new piece, I’ve tried something new to challenge myself and I’m like ‘yeah I pulled that off,” said Brinkerhoff.
It’s a celebration for her and open for everyone’s interpretation.
– Photojournalist Karen Tang
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