Biography

Jessica Clampet is a painter working in oil, watercolor, and encaustic wax. She and her family are currently living in Portsmouth, Virginia. Jessica has been painting since childhood; her mother taught her how to use oil paint at a very young age. During high school, a favorite teacher introduced her to using crayons as encaustic paint. This one lesson paved the way for a lifelong love of the medium. In 2007 Jessica studied at The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to become a jewelry designer. While studying at GIA, she used watercolors to render her designs which magnified her love of painting. This planted the seeds in her mind that she could pursue painting professionally outside of jewelry design.

In 2015 Jessica went back to college to pursue a professional art career. She received an Associate of Arts degree in Studio Arts from Tidewater Community College (TCC) and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in fine art from Old Dominion University. Jessica is a commissioned portrait artist and treats these with the utmost respect. Her work has earned her awards in several student shows, including the Best in Show award at the Genesis exhibition in 2019, held at the former Peninsula of Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia.

Her paintings celebrate the many facets of family life. She especially loves to paint children in candid moments of discovery and play. In 2017 during her time at TCC, Jessica and her husband started their family. Her new role of motherhood and its effect on her family created a shift in her work that still permeates today.