About the artist
I'm glad you’re here! My name is Jessica. I’m a self-taught wildlife artist with a focus on bird and marine life species, based in coastal Virginia. I began my professional career in the spring of 2019 as a watercolor artist and wildlife photographer, then soon blossomed into discovering and embracing linocut printmaking.
I enjoy the unique challenge of carving an idea by hand and allowing each piece to unfold into something new. I recreate my moments of being a curious naturalist into hand-carved and hand-printed linocut prints, as well as original watercolor paintings. This organic process takes time, patience, and skill for keen mark-making. I always use the best pigments in my work, as well as carefully sourced archival papers from France and Japan. From the initial sketch or the pigment sweeping through my brush, each piece comes to life and tells a story of the wild — right inside your home.
The coast of Virginia is a special place and I’m honored to represent our native flora and fauna through my work, which has been sold all over the United States as well as Canada. When I’m not creating, I’m most likely birding along the East Coast, documenting the migration seasons of our avian world, and spending time tending to my native garden.
Inspiration Behind the Name: The Osprey Wing
I've never known anything other than the quiet of the coast. The salty, fleeting moments deep within the marshes and the ebb and flow of the crashing waves is where I belong. Looking for a soft place to land, a bed of seaweed greeted me like an old friend. A gentle south wind arrived, carrying endless flocks of shorebirds — their wings speckled against the salt spray. If I leave my fears, can I stay here with you forever, little sandpiper? Their wings wrapped around me as the salt of the tides swept me in. A gentle wind lifted me as I closed my eyes to this sea nest dream. To be in a world without shorebirds is unimaginable to me. This is how The Osprey Wing was created.
The Osprey Wing’s Exhibits & Features:
April 2019. Gloucester Arts on Main: 2nd Annual Open Juried Art Show Exhibit.
March 2020. Gloucester Arts on Main’s 2020 Annual Juried Show - awarded the People's Choice Award for my ‘Creature of the Night’ painting.
June 2020. The Rivah Visitors Guide (monthly coloring page I created)
January 2021. Department of Wildlife Resources: Restore the Wild artwork competition. Featuring ‘Imperiled Turtles’
January 2021. Dirty Bird Podcast: My Belted Kingfisher drawing was used as their cover art; I was also a guest speaker on that episode.
May 2021. The Rivah Visitors Guide (monthly coloring page I created)
July 2021. Virginia Watercolor Society Regional Exhibit ‘Summer of Color: Flora and Fauna’.
March 2022. Featured in Vol. 7. The Scout Guide; Williamsburg & The Chesapeake Bay.
2021-2022. Virginia Watercolor Society Member
October 2024. Gloucester Arts on Main: Annual Juried Exhibit
how it's made
-
how it's made -
-
1. Gathering Inspiration
Before starting a new linocut print, I immerse myself in observing like-minded subjects together. For example, I might spend the day outdoors watching blue crabs float by as small ripples carry the periwinkles. In the distance, I hear the crackling of the saltmarsh growing louder. Mussels spit as the cord grasses sway in the breeze, accompanied by the distant calls of oystercatchers. I collect and capture these small, sacred moments with sketches, ensuring cohesion as I weave a fleeting scene into my print.
-
2. Preparing the Lino Block
After making a few adjustments to enhance my subjects, I'm ready to draw the finalized sketch onto the lino block. I typically draw directly onto the block with a pencil, but sometimes I use carbon transfer paper for my more detailed designs. I let the sketch sit for a few days before revisiting it with fresh eyes. Finally, the carving begins! I sharpen my printmaking tools and carefully make the first marks, allowing the piece to take life. This delicate process usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks, during which I take my time to ensure that I’m capturing my subjects with as much precision and detail as possible as I bring them to life.
-
3. Proof Printing
Once the block is carved, it's time for a proof print. This involves inking the block for the first time and placing proofing paper, like newsprint, onto it. I start by cleaning my glass inking plate and tools, then apply a thin layer of relief ink onto the plate. Using a brayer, I slowly work the ink and allow the oil to warm until it blends smoothly for even application. I carefully coat the lino block with a thin layer of relief ink and place the newsprint on the surface. With a glass barren, I hand burnish the print, allowing the paper to absorb the ink. Hand printing each proof takes about 20 minutes.
-
4. Checking and Final Printing
As I go, I check my work to ensure my paper picks up the ink and details properly. The exciting part is peeling back the paper to reveal the first proof! I savor the process of pulling back the paper as my hand-carved image now creates a hand-pulled print. If there are no mistakes, I bring out my professional papers, using archival Japanese papers for the final edition. I re-ink the block for each piece of printmaking paper. Once printed, the prints are clipped on a drying line for about 2 weeks. The oil inks I use dry by oxidation, so the drying time can be a bit mysterious and unpredictable…much like my subjects.
-
5. Finishing Touches
Once the ink has dried, the new prints are signed, titled, and numbered. Carefully prepared and packaged, they are ready to go out into the world!
