Jessilyn Brinkerhoff is an alumni of the University of Oregon Art and Design programs and shares her creative passion for larger than life imagery as a painter, public artist, and teacher. She has designed and installed murals under the I-5 Overpass in Southern Oregon, for the skyline of Tacoma, Eco-centers in Thailand, and commissions throughout the Northwest. Her largest work for the city of Tacoma, Washington was a mural of 15,000 square feet at 55 feet high and 275 feet tall. She believes murals and public art have the power to create a sense of place, to inspire hope and beauty in a grey concrete world, and to bring communities together to work on a visionary project for the whole.
“My work features ecosystems of Oregon with its bees, flowers, sunrises and the landscape of farms and rivers. I paint images that are urban and rural, of natural and social history, wild species, forgotten peoples, wide-open spaces and optimistic futures where humans and the environment have come to balance.
With research and color as my instruments, I create contemporary natural motifs in bold colors and graphic elements. This research into communities begins with immersing myself into a place, gathering stories and creating images that truly speak to the vernacular. From here, bold local characters, patterns and historical places are planted into the designs. Looking past the obvious through up-close observation is an important motivator in my process.
I believe art has the power to create a sense of place, inspire hope and beauty, and to bring communities together to work on a visionary project for the whole. I hope to inspire people to break outside of our typical routine, look more carefully at our home place and discover beauty in unusual places.”