Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Hess
Hi Jordan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember, from characters and stories in my notebook to picking up a paintbrush and canvas as young as 5 years old. I was raised in a sleepy seaside town in Northeast Florida, among a coastal landscape not unlike Savannah, though opportunities for artists were scarce. Around middle school, I started researching potential colleges, where I stumbled across Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which seemed far from reality to attend for me as a middle child of 5. When it came to my senior year of high school, I knew art school, or at least an art major, was a natural choice for me. I always let my passion take the lead, without thinking too far ahead. I submitted my portfolio to SCAD. With the help of scholarships, the rest is history.
I graduated from SCAD with my Illustration BFA in 2023. Part of the child in me who created characters and stories was so fulfilled, being able to hone my skills into something true to me, but also told a story in itself. Illustration is always going to be a part of me; though, the other part of me, who found inspiration behind a canvas, seemed to take charge post-graduation. I worked for a year and a half in the giclee printing business as a Color Management Specialist for many established low-country artists in Bluffton, Savannah, and Hilton Head. Over this time, I’ve found a new voice through experimentation with color, working in acrylics.
I’ve recently started to go freelance as I attend local markets and galleries. I fell in love with Savannah and its unique historic landscape, as well as the artist community that has been so diverse and kind. I look forward to growing more and learning along with the experience. I hope to continue letting my passion lead me, to celebrate my community in the best way I know how, through creative expression.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s not been easy. I struggled a lot with my mental health and comparing myself to others. Though it kept me motivated to get better, the place where it was coming from was not sustainable. Burnout can really be a catalyst for bigger problems, none of which I want to affect me or my artistry. I believe creatives in general to be sensitive and empathetic, which can be very draining if not taken care of. As progressive as we have gotten in regards to mental health awareness, there is still some stigma behind speaking it out loud. I truly believe it is of the upmost importance to take care of ourselves, to get the help we need, as well as look out for our fellow artists.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After graduating with my illustration degree, summer at my 9-5 led me to burnout, though it fully involved me with the technicality behind color.
I learned color theory at a young age, so by the time I attended SCAD, it was second nature to me, only to be an even deeper dive post-grad doing digital color-corrections for fine artists. After staring at a computer screen all day, it was nice to let loose in my studio, working in acrylic paint, without expectations. From that space, I was able to find a process that I resonate with and a feeling that was unrestricted; unrestricted from the ingrained hustle that I was grinding at for not only months at work but the years I was trained in art school. I finally felt proud ownership of my art.
My style has been described as “whimsical urban naturalism” and “ethereal industrialism,” which for me incorporates broad, lively strokes and textures mechanical enough to be representational, with glowing fluorescent color peeking through the surface. Through landscapes and still life, I tend to paint from my own perspective. A collection of paintings that I title my “Savannah Collection” is a homage to the unique charm of the city; often opting for an untraditional lens of Historic Savannah compared to most, my subject matter reveals ordinary moments that shine a truth of making the mundane feel vibrant.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Besides my family and friends that I am endlessly grateful for, what makes me happy are the simple, seemingly ordinary things that I come across every day that make me smile. I quite literally have paintings of fire hydrants, gas stations, and trash cans because the moment was too good not to capture. When you look around, there are so many little miracles happening at any given time. I know it when I see it every day; whatever brings a smile to my face feels like a present especially for me. I think I would go crazy if I wasn’t able to witness the magic in the mundane.
Pricing:
- “Bouquet” $200
- “Hydrant” $150
- “Full Moon at Exxon” $75
- “Red Bean Vanilla Matcha” $75
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hess.arts
- Other: https://jordanhessarts.etsy.com
