About Jesse

About Me

Comfortable painting, and in the ocean

I grew up surfing along the coast of San Diego. My love of surfing has given me an appreciation for the beauty and power of the ocean.  And art seemed a natural way to share this passion.  I began my art career in college, when when I decided to become an art major. Before that, I had no experience with art, but knew what I wanted to do.  Brigham Young University has a small campus in Hawaii, on the North Shore of Oahu, and that seemed like the perfect place to learn to paint. I quickly found how difficult painting is, but persisted, and managed to win some awards in college art shows by the time I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. 

In Hawaii, I liked to surf, dive, fish and stay in the water as much as I could.  Then, I would then take all that back with me to my studio.   Anything that caught my eye became subject matter, including landscapes, seascapes, figurative work and wildlife.  My artwork is about what I like to see and want to share with others.

After moving back to San Diego, I continued to paint, specializing mainly with watercolor.  During the summer, I work as a lifeguard for the City of San Diego, and enjoys spending the days at the beach.  And in the winter, I paint every day.

 I try to make my art more than just pretty pictures of the ocean.  My work has been compared to both Andrew Wyeth and Norman Rockwell.  Not because of technique, or color scheme, but because those artists evoke a sense of time, place and emotion that I strive for. 

My work has been displayed throughout Hawaii and California, and has been found by collectors all over the United Stated, and even internationally.  But, I still feels like I am just starting my career as an artist.  And, my main goal has remains the same: Sharing with a viewer the allure and beauty of the ocean and all that happens around it.