Very excited to introduce the second person I want to feature on my "Local Artist Spotlight" to you all, Jordan Alexander. To know Jordan is to love her. She's seriously as cool as a fan. Her artwork and style are very fun and especially unique, that's what makes it so great! She recently painted a picture of Notorious B.I.G. for me and I'm obsessed! I will add that photo in the featured artwork below.

MEET JORDAN

Tell me a little about yourself..where are you from and what do you do?

"My name is Jordan Alexander, and have coined the name Jojo for my artist name. I'm 27 years young. I went to college doing general business courses then switched to photography. I'm self taught in painting. Mostly meaning, I just go with the flow and hope it looks cool in the end. Everysingle year has been spent living in Tennessee. Mostly Franklin, and currently Nashville. I'm a nanny for a very spunky two year old, and also love painting."

Why did you or what made you decide to become an artist?

"I became an artist by accident. I was trying to impress my fairly new boyfriend. He had hit up a garage sale and left yearning for an African American Last Supper painting. So obviously, I decided to be impressive and paint it myself. I had so much fun doing it that I didn't stop."

What kinds of art pieces have you worked on? Which one was your favorite and why?

"So far I have worked primarily with acryclic paint on canvas, or wood. I really like to go to Goodwill and upcycle old art or wall hangings. In the very beginning I was overloading on images. I would keep a few in mind and kind of merge them when I started a piece. Then I started getting custom orders. Sometimes I will just get three random words from someone and paint my interpretation. My favorites right now are of musicians. I go through a total emersion of creating until I have nothing to say and take another break. I always love to paint peoples animal friends. I dont have a favorite painting of mine. I like to look and see what I have learned and what I have lost in my evolution."

What has been your most touching or amazing moment that you've experienced as an artist?

"The most touching or emotional experience was deciding that I am an artist, and accepting that I do have a talent in creating. I have never loved doing something so much. I painted several in one night and then went to bed. Usually, I could sleep any where any time.. but not that night. I laid in bed and cried with relief because I had found something I knew God intended for me. It finally cliqued what I was meant to do. How I could bring joy to others, and myself. I stayed up thinking of possibilities and how happy I was to finally meet my true self."

What other artists have been inspirational to you in your work?

"All artists inspire me in some way or another, but I am most inspired by my aunt Provie Musso. Growing up I would go visit her around Alabama, wherever she was at the moment. She would take me places where I could appreciate art whether through architecture or fellow artists homes. She along with other family members always encouraged me to write poetry and be creative. My favorite part though always was going to her studio and spending hours making our own art. She always enjoyed doing "found object". Meaning, she went dumpster diving, or thrift shopping, then does an assemblage. I always loved looking through her trinkets she collected. It felt like treasures."

Anything else you would like to mention that I didn't ask?

"I would just like to mention that sometimes it feels scary not knowing what life really has for you. What you are supposed to bring to the world. I promise that there is something beautiful inside of everyone that comes when the moment is right. Be patient and have faith that you will shine."

FEATURED ARTWORK

Y'all show Jordan some love and like her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Jojo-Art-1483337748628526/

or follow her on Instagram @jojoart_

#SupportLocal

Thank you for sharing your story Jordan and your fun creativity with the world ❤️ Thank y'all for reading !!

I want to introduce to you all, a very talented local artist, Jessica Maraschiello. She is the first artist I want to feature on my new "Local Artist Showcase" . We have so much talent around Nashville, I would be crazy not to share their stories. I have known Jessica for what feels like forever, and she is not only a great artist, but a wonderful person all around!

MEET JESSICA

1. Tell me a little about yourself... where are you from, and what you do?

I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, but I have also lived in Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio. Nashville definitely feels like home. I just graduated from MTSU with a Bachelors of Fine Art in December, and now I am teaching classes at Sips N Strokes in the Gulch, painting pet portraits, screen printing T-shirts, and working on my personal body of work. I also am available for commission and freelance projects such as illustration, portraits, and whatever else I can get my hands dirty doing!

2. Why did you / or what made you decide to become an artist?

I have always enjoyed the process of creating something, whether it was making jewelry as a kid, choreographing dances in my teens, writing poetry and short stories, or making a piece of art. What really made me fall in love with painting was using it as therapy while going through a divorce. During an emotionally chaotic time, painting opened a new world of expression in which I did not need words. It helped (and still does) quiet my mind when the world got overwhelmingly loud with emotion and stress.

3. What kinds of art pieces have you worked on. Which one was your favorite and why?

I really love to dabble in several styles and mediums. Painting is my first and main love, but I have also discovered a whole new exciting world with printmaking. My personal body of work is primarily geometric abstraction that revolves around the elements of contrast and spatial illusion. I like to consider them the externalization of my often anxious psychological state of mind. I also paint pet portraits and silkscreen t-shirts. I don't know that I have an absolute favorite piece that I have done. It may sound cliché, but each one really is a piece of myself. I did a portrait of my late Grandmother as a gift for my mom, that I was pretty proud that I pulled off!

4. What has been your most touching or amazing moment you've experienced as an artist?

Anytime I have been accepted into a show or won a scholarship is such an amazing feeling. I think the most touching moment would be when my sisters commissioned a pet portrait for a friend whose dog had passed away. I was not there when she received the portrait, but my sister told me she looked out the window after her friend had left, and she saw her friend sitting in her car holding the portrait to her chest while she cried. Just thinking about that now makes me emotional! There have been several times a client has become emotional when they first see their portrait in person. That is always such a rewarding feeling.

5. What other artists have been inspirational to you in your work?

Kandinsky was my first big inspiration. I love how he deconstructed his compositions to such simple shapes, line, and color, but yet they were still so dynamic and intriguing. More current artists I look at are Jered Sprecher and Gianna Commito. I like to think of my personal work as a culmination of the inspiration from mainly those three artists, but I am always looking for new artists and inspiration.

6. Anything else you'd like to mention that I didn't ask?

I didn't start painting until my early 20s. I didn't pursue an education in art until I was 26, but it has been the best and most rewarding decision I have ever made. Being an artist has allowed me to see and interact with the world differently. Along with music, I believe visual art is one of the most powerful expressions of the human experience.

FEATURED ARTWORK BY JESSICA

To see more of Jessica Maraschiello's work you can click any of these links. Feel free to show her some love and like her on Facebook as well.

https://jrmaraschiello.carbonmade.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PetPortraitsbyJMar/

https://www.facebook.com/JRosebudDesigns/

Jessica can also be reached at JessicaMaraschielloArt@gmail.com if you are interested in inquiring about any artwork or shows.

Thank you Jessica for taking the time to take a look inside your artistic mind, which leads right to your heart! I am excited to share your beautiful artwork with Nashville !!

Local Artist Spotlight: Jordan Alexander

Local Artist Spotlight: Jessica Maraschiello