ELGIN COUNTY STUDIO TOUR LOCAL ARTIST PROFILE
Jessica Wallace by Peri Hayes Having moved from Australia, Jessica Wallace has proudly resided locally for several years: “This is where my mom’s roots are, and this is my family’s dream come true being in St. Thomas. I didn’t have to create my home, this already is.” With Canadale Nurseries honoured as such a meaningful piece to Jessica’s story, she earnestly offers: “I love that St. Thomas holds the four generations of my family. Oma moved from Holland to St. Thomas to pursue her dreams, and this is such a gift that I channel through my own endeavours. Despite closing next year, Canadale is not leaving the community – we will continue to contribute, even beyond the storefront.” As Jessica introduces about her background: “I was holding a paintbrush before I was holding a pencil.” She has vast experience teaching every form of art under the sun. Included in Jessica’s portfolio is her time as Manager of Education and Outreach for the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, as well as instructing at the Sir Sandford Fleming School of Fine Arts. Her favoured mediums are acrylic on canvas, as well as clay, street art and watercolour. Jessica feels a deep connection to nature and for portraying the incredible landscapes in Canada, along with her ancestral relationship to Mother Earth. About this, she beams, “The lakes, trees, and rocks are in my bones.” With her background in psychology and education, Jessica reflects, “I am impacted greatly by my students, who have taught me the importance of focusing on well-being and the value of feeling safe, seen and heard.” In many ways, Jessica integrates this blueprint into her artistic craft. Experienced in teaching at YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED We install
every level — as well as offering extra-curricular art clubs and private lessons — Jessica’s eyes light up while she expresses, “There’s freedom in creativity and when you encourage a safe space for children to explore their passions, they go so far beyond any expectation. We experiment with materials and have fun throughout the process. I learn just as much from my students, using a play-based, student directed model.” As Jessica proceeds to describe, “In my work, I aim to convey more than a surface appearance – I strive for people to feel the spirit of a subject. I want to create the magic, so that my audience is not perceiving my own connection and memories to a certain piece that I create – but rather, experiencing their own. Art has an innate ability to evoke emotion, and each work of art is a meditative journey for me.”
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Page 12 Hometown St. Thomas • September 2026
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