Jessica Crouch continued
will work on something very detail-oriented for weeks, and then move on to an abstract piece where I don’t obsess over details at all. In the abstract, I go from brain to canvas in a sort of flow state.” Crouch’s tendency to innovate and willingness to experiment has led to the most recent development in her ever-evolving body of work: a series of more accessible abstract works geared toward interior design. Crouch believes that while art is often deeply personal, access to art should not be restricted to an elite few. “Everyone’s home is worthy of a piece of original art. To me, the purpose of art is to share.” Her current objective is to create stunning, affordable pieces that transform private spaces for real people. These atmospheric, nonfigurative works are created without a specific orientation and can be hung in any direction, so each client decides how the work will be viewed. Using encaustic wax and pigments, she burns, melts, and carves the medium to create richly expressive, free-flowing designs that galvanize home interiors. And she’s having fun doing it: “My abstract expressionist work is definitely about letting go. It’s a challenge for me to not be so precise and exact, but the encaustic medium is so unpredictable that I have no choice—I have to play with it. It’s a very freeing feeling.” In 2018-2021 Crouch’s work has been shown at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, The Studio Door in San Diego, the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, Lemonade Stand Gallery in Key West, 311 Gallery in Raleigh, Las Lagunas Gallery in Laguna Beach, Cheatham Art League in Ashland City, TN, St. George School in Memphis, TN, Westlyn School in Georgia, Tubac Center of the Arts in Tubac, AZ.
Lundy Cupp Technology is changing us and maybe the way we see one-another. But we are still a very social species. Technology can be a wonderful thing and it
does bring us together in some very beautiful ways. My work primarily focuses on the human face and form. I’m intrigued by the vast array of subtle nuance within the human face. No two faces are exactly alike. It is as unique as the individual who wears it and that person’s life experiences. For such a small area as a face, the expressions and variations are endless. I try to capture a brief moment of expression within my subject. As with any creative process, whether they are a portrayal of a specific individual or a whimsical character in my mind, the faces evolve as they emerge. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of what I do. My love of detail and combining realism with semi-abstract brings it all together for me.
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Trial and error is an important part in any material I work with. My book carvings emerged from my love of books. I quickly discovered encyclopedias are ideal for my subject matter of human portraits. I can carve a life-size face within the space of a few volumes. And since encyclopedias are now primarily obsolete, they are abundant. There are homes and attics across America full of these beautiful books. So I just give them a new life so-to-speak. It is an incredible challenge to carve paper. I don’t glue the pages together before carving so much thought goes into the approximate 100 hours it takes to carve a portrait into the paper of books. I look at the world and the human face in a different way than I did before I discovered my abilities as an artist. I see the beauty in both simplicity and complexity. The learning and discovery process never ends. Ever. That’s what makes this whole art thing work, what makes it so much fun and addicting. It’s the magic that drives the wonders of art.
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