JESSICA L. WICKEN
303-653-2650
Jwicken@hotmail.com

After a lifetime of moving around the country, Jessica Wicken and her husband Pat Krohn settled in Denver in 1996 and have made it their home. The beauty and light of Colorado and the West inspired her to go back to painting. Prior to moving to Colorado, Jessica exhibited her work in Pittsburgh, PA, and then Washington DC where she also worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill before moving to New York City, when she made the (strangely logical at the time) switch to acting. After thirteen years as an actress, singer, jeweler and office temp in New York City and Los Angeles, it was time to get back to her art roots.

"In a world of more and more restrictions, my theme song would be "Don't Fence Me In." It is one of the reasons I find happiness in creative activity. Art is one area where you set your own limits and explore whatever path calls you. With so much of our beautiful vistas being destroyed by urban sprawl, I especially want to capture the beauty of open and natural spaces that still remain, places that lead to contemplation of the mystery of it all and our place in it. I think landscapes paintings serve to remind us of those special feelings we have that get overrun by our daily lives. Animals, farmland, coastal areas are subjects that appeal to me - how the seasons, weather and the time of day, color and make each moment visually unique. People are my other favorite subject. When I look at art from earlier times, the people depicted open a window into the human adventure of that time. Every generation has new challenges and influences, and I like to capture those conditions while striving to also appreciate the commonalities and divine essence we share as humans."

"In the past two years I've returned to painting with oils after several years of working primarily in watercolor. In oil or watercolor, my paintings are closest in style to the Impressionists, with an emphasis on light and the ephemeral spirit of that moment."

Ms. Wicken received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Utah (major in painting and drawing, minor in art history) and also studied art in San Miguel de Allende and Saltillo, Mexico, as well as the Art Students League in Denver, CO. Her work has been juried into highly selective show, has received awards, and is held in numerous private collections across the Untied States, including the Ink Fish Collection in Colorado. She has also worked as a publicity artist for cabaret and theater productions, as an illustrator in the fashion industry and created holiday-themed paintings for a card company.