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Jessicaswhimsy Bio

"Art is a window to the soul. It speaks where words fail."

- Jessicaswhimsy -

Welcome to Jessicaswhimsy, a professional portrait/wildlife artist's website. This is the place where art comes to life and emotions find expression. Through my paintings, I aim to capture the essence of life and nature, offering a unique perspective that resonates with the soul.Explore my world of creativity and passion as I blend colors and strokes to create captivating masterpieces. Some of my artworks are available for purchase, and I also offer the opportunity for clients to commission personalized person or pet portraits.Through this platform, I invite you to delve deeper into my journey as a disabled professional artist. Join me as I share my experiences, challenges, and triumphs in my blog, and get to know the artist behind the canvas.

Crystal Salt

My Story

Welcome to my website. I hope you find beauty and joy within its pages. I find so much Joy and contentment in painting. It has been a beautiful gift from above in a time oof GREAT trial. 

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I have always been an over achiever, and was a Labor and delivery nurse for almost 20 years. I absolutely loved my career, and miss it to this day. Destiny stepped in however when I was 35. One night I was in a hurry to get ready for work and in my haste, walking fast in the dark, I tripped on a box of heavy books. I ended up fracturing my 5th metatarsal bone in my right foot and sustaining nerve damage. after months of severe pain, sensitivity and worsening swelling and purple discoloration I was diagnosed with a horrible disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).  It causes SEVERE, chronic, nerve pain, dysfunction, and often spreads to other areas of the body. In my case the bone wouldn't heal, and kept refracturing, so I needed surgery, a bone graft, and joint fusion to finally heal it... however this caused the CRPS to spread to my left foot, up my right leg, and into my right arm. I won't list all the gory details ( You can google CRPS if you want to know more about it). Several years after my CRPS diagnosis I started having pain in my hips and low back when I was sitting. This was VERY disturbing for me because sitting was almost all I could do since the CRPS made it hell to walk or stand. I had done years of physical therapy, aqua therapy, and tried to work, pushing through the pain, to no avail. The pain was just too great. Now I could not sit either. Another 2 years passed as I was diagnosed with several autoimmune disorders, at the root of the pain in my back, hips, and joints. Trying to make this very long story short, I now find it extremely painful to walk, sit or stand.

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Why am I telling you this long, sob story? Well, art has become my "therapy." I have lived in constant pain. for the last 6 years I have not been able to sit, stand, or walk, without severe pain. So, you will usually see me laying down. It is one of the only tolerable positions I can be in. I have always loved arts and crafts, so when I found myself going out of my mind with the pain and inability to be active, I started to paint again. I had never 1done much with watercolors, but because of the ease of cleanup, and the fact that I had to teach myself to pain laying down I felt like watercolors would  be a great fit. Over the years painting has become a passion, giving me the hope, and feeling of achievement that I desperately needed. I have lost so much of the life I knew before but painting has given me back so much.

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This website contains the fruit of that effort. I wish for you to enjoy my many paintings, and for them to bring you hope in your own endeavors. No matter what your circumstances you can achieve your dreams. Don't stop trying. Don't stop pushing forward. sometimes we have to change the way we do things, view things, and maybe change ourselves, but there is always a way through the storms in our lives. Don't give up!

Achievments

Freedom Gallery Exhibit to support Remember Nhu Charity auction. Indianapolis, IN,  2022

The Artfields Collective Exhibit, Lake City, SC, 2023

Artist Judge for Riviera Prep middle school and high school art show. Miami, FL 2024

Feature in Artist Closeup Magazine, Feb 2023

Almenara Art show participant Cordoba, Spain, 2024

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