Jessica Graca
watercolor and oil on canvas

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Jessica Anne Graca was born, raised and studied painting in Detroit Michigan. Jessica is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit where she earned her BFA. She has lived in Michigan, Virginia, Alaska, California and Washington. She now lives in Seattle WA, where she enjoys surfing, photography, sewing, travel, yoga, and painting.

Jessica has twice been awarded the Elizabeth Greensheild’s grant for artists practicing in the realistic and representational field of art. Her work has been featured in the North American Review magazine. She has exhibited at the Synergy Art gallery, DOA gallery, and the 101 UP gallery in Detroit. She has also been a part of The Round at the Fremont Abbey, and the Pike Hike art walk, here in Seattle.

Watercolor has always been Jessica’s medium of choice. The unforgiving nature and immediacy of the paint has always been a stimulating challenge.

Jessica’s work is inspired and influenced by the classic Impressionist painters. A few of her favorite painters include, Monet, Cassat, and Degas. Due to the nature of watercolor paint, she does not paint using short thick impasto strokes of paint. However there is a large emphasis on optical mixing and wet on wet technique in her paintings. Light and brilliant color are very prevalent in her images. Just as the impressionist’s of the past, her subject matter contains every day life and situations. Jessica strives to present her modern day life through the vision of a classic impressionist.