My Life & Artwork - July, August, & September 2021

October 6, 2021 Teressa Jackson

Much has happened since my last blog update! I am now reporting to you from Costa Mesa, California. Read on for more about that…

I had artwork in two exhibitions that opened in July - “Xscape” at FOUND:RE Contemporary and “Agua Sagrada,” a virtual exhibition with Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson. “Xscape” remains on display until November 14, and I have been fortunate enough to sell the painting that was juried into that show as well as the one I supplied to replace the first piece. There is a third painting on display there now, also available to go home with a lucky arts enthusiast.

I also visited my family in Oregon in July. We had a lovely time together after far too long apart. My sister and her sweet family indulged my love for rockhounding adventure, and my mom and I visited the Oregon coast, including the Neskowin Ghost Forest and Newport. My human niece and nephew have grown so much in two years, and are such lovely young people. I can’t believe they still think I’m kind of cool. I also got to meet my new dog niece, Ulu!

In August, Aaron accepted a job in Orange County, California, and my life turned into full-time home selling and packing. There was time to crank out a couple of paintings amid the chaos, as well as to get in some quality time with my friends Ursula, Kalisha, and Sarah. I am very grateful to all three of those ladies for helping to keep me sane and take care of odds and ends amongst the chaos. Thankfully, the home sale went better than our wildest dreams could have imagined, making the hard work feel worthwhile.

On September 3, Lola dog and I pulled out of Phoenix in the Uhaul and made our way to the Golden State. The trip was made even more exciting when some issues with our planned new residence arose and Aaron literally found a new place for us to live less than 24 hours before we unloaded. There were a few harried phone calls during that drive, that’s for sure!

We had fun taking Lola to meet the ocean for the first time. That desert dog had no idea what to make of the waves, but she did enjoy some good rolling in the sand. Unfortunately, we won’t be visiting the Huntington Dog Beach again anytime in the near future, as it is part of the impacted area from the oil spill that recently occurred. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are the two closest beaches to our home (a mere 10 minute or so drive), and are closest to the spill. It’s a bummer, but more than anything, it’s truly heartbreaking to think of the wildlife impacted by this disaster.

Another Raices Taller virtual exhibition, “All Things Paper,” went up on September 4, and is on display until October 16. I am grateful to have three paintings in that exhibition, and encourage you to see the diverse array of works the artists have created for the show, all of which are on paper.

Valley Coffee Company opened around the corner from FOUND:RE Contemporary in Phoenix in September, and I am thrilled to be part of a beautiful wall installation of Arizona-inspired artwork in their shop. My painting Prelude to the Pursuit was selected through an opportunity facilitated by Artlink, an arts organization that has been instrumental to my success as an artist in the Phoenix area. I will certainly miss their support.

Most of September revolved around getting settled and learning a new place. Understandably, I’ve not been as productive as I would have liked during these past few months, but I’m happy to say I’m feeling back to the swing of things again, for the most part. The biggest thing we are still trying to figure out now is where we can go have some rockhounding adventures. :-)

In all, I created six paintings during this time, three of which are still available for purchase. Additionally, I designed and opened pre-orders for my 2022 art calendar, which can be ordered through November 15, 2021.

Shop for art and calendars now ›

Ursula and I took a jaunt out to see the Salt River during her visit. It’s bittersweet to bid this landscape farewell.

Little Bird, Big Dreams 16x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21. — *Little Bird, Big Dreams*
16x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21.

See Me in the OC 8x6”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper SOLD. — *See Me in the OC*
8x6”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper
SOLD.

Sequilibrium 14x10”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21. — *Sequilibrium*
14x10”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper
Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21.

Virga Vision 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Virga Vision*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Cloudburst 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD. — *Cloudburst*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD.

Sonoran Slumber 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD. — *Sonoran Slumber*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD.

Shop for art and calendars now ›

My Life & Artwork - May & June 2021

July 9, 2021 Teressa Jackson

It’s been a productive couple of months! Summer is officially here and the desert is officially hot. We’ve even spent a few days in the upper one hundred teens. I think that having no choice but to be indoors much of the time translated to a productivity boon for me, especially in June. I also had some art exhibition opportunities that piqued my interest, so I worked to create some pieces tailored to those. Thankfully, my submissions were well received, too.

Fort Lowell Firmament, 16x20”, watercolor on cradled Aquabord, 2019. Available for purchase.

FOUND:RE Contemporary in Phoenix issued a call for submissions called Xscape, an exhibition to be centered around “landscapes, cityscapes and mindscapes.” I created a large piece on Aquabord entitled El Curandero (it’s shown below, but I promise it’s so much better in person) that was accepted to this exhibition. The show will run from July 17 to November 14, 2021.

El Curandero was inspired by the Curandero Trail at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, Arizona. This trail features a collection of native plants that have medicinal properties. Each time I walk this trail, I gaze down from the top to this view of Picketpost Mountain and the gardens below. For me, the most powerful medicine of all is the beauty of this place and the way it heals my soul. (Curanderos are traditional healers who use herbal medicines to treat various conditions).

Extra thanks goes to Ampersand, the makers of Aquabord, who sent me complimentary product that I used to create El Curandero and several other paintings in June. Ampersand will be using Fort Lowell Firmament, a painting I created on Aquabord a couple of years ago, for some of their new marketing materials. Aquabord is a clay coated, slightly textured board that is designed for use with watercolor paint. It can be sealed and displayed without glass, which makes the watercolor even more vibrant and luminous. The surface doesn’t behave exactly like paper, and I like the qualities of each for different reasons and different applications/subject matter. Aquabord is especially nice for larger paintings, since framing paper in large format can get really cumbersome and expensive.

Señor Pajaro, my little mockingbird friend

Monsoon season began on my birthday (June 15 - yeah, yeah, I’m 45 now…) and I had the opportunity to submit artwork to a monsoon themed exhibition with Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson. I had actually sketched out some ideas last year that I I liked but never painted (I’m not sure why!) so I worked through those using various media. The first version was gouache (opaque watercolor) on black watercolor paper, then gouache on white hot pressed (very smooth) watercolor paper, and finally transparent watercolor on white cold pressed (more textured) watercolor paper. I think they resulted in some fun and interesting works that exceeded my expectations. The first two iterations of these designs are now showing in Raices Taller’s Agua Sagrada virtual exhibition and the third was sold to a Phoenix-area collector.

In other random news, we had some renovations done at our house in May, which was exciting but exhausting and probably impacted my May productivity. The saguaro cacti bloomed and made fruit. We did more rockhounding, even when it was insanely hot. We spent a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in Orange County, California, eating good food and visiting the ocean. I managed to somehow save a fledgling mockingbird from Lola dog and it spent a week learning to fly in our backyard (and inspired some art that will be featured in future a blog). We got our first day of rain for the monsoon season. It was a good couple of months!

In all, I created 6 paintings in May and 11 in June, including several larger and more time-consuming paintings. I also experimented quite a bit with style, approaches, and materials. I feel like I’m in a season of artistic change and growth, another reason I’ve been creating so much. All the pieces I created are shown below, along with their availability as of this blog post.

Shop for art now ›

El Curandero 18x24”, Watercolor on Aquabord On exhibit in “XSCAPES: Landscapes, Cityscapes, and Mindscapes” from July 17 to November 14, 2021, at FOUND:RE Contemporary. — *El Curandero*
18x24”, Watercolor on Aquabord
On exhibit in “XSCAPES: Landscapes, Cityscapes, and Mindscapes” from July 17 to November 14, 2021, at FOUND:RE Contemporary.

Deluge Dreams 8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page. — *Deluge Dreams*
8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page.

Awash Awakenings 8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page. — *Awash Awakenings*
8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper
On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page.

Monsoon Swoon 12x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper SOLD. — *Monsoon Swoon*
12x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
SOLD.

Monumental Morning 2.25x8.25”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Monumental Morning*
2.25x8.25”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Bartlett Blue 6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Bartlett Blue*
6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Boyce Thompson Sampler 6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Boyce Thompson Sampler*
6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Moochaca 6x6”, Watercolor and Gouache on Aquabord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Moochaca*
6x6”, Watercolor and Gouache on Aquabord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Pinchot Pencas 6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Pinchot Pencas*
6x6”, Watercolor on Aquabord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Pinchot Privy 14x11”, Watercolor and Gouache on Aquabord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Pinchot Privy*
14x11”, Watercolor and Gouache on Aquabord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Above the Grove 2.75x2.75”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Above the Grove*
2.75x2.75”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Chinle Time Traveler 14x10”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page. — *Chinle Time Traveler*
14x10”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
On virtual exhibit in “Agua Sagrada” from July 3 to August 14, 2021, via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Purchases can be made through the gallery; more information at linked page.

La Bailaora de Flamenco 24x18”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *La Bailaora de Flamenco*
24x18”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

32nd St. Glow 6x6”, Gouache and white gel pen on Claybord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *32nd St. Glow*
6x6”, Gouache and white gel pen on Claybord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

The Charging Hour 6x6”, Gouache on Claybord SOLD. — *The Charging Hour*
6x6”, Gouache on Claybord
SOLD.

Busy Evening 6x6”, Gouache and watercolor pencil on Claybord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Busy Evening*
6x6”, Gouache and watercolor pencil on Claybord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Between the Lines 6x6”, Gouache on Claybord For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Between the Lines*
6x6”, Gouache on Claybord
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Shop for art now ›

My Life & Artwork - April 2021

May 5, 2021 Teressa Jackson

Me with Network at the Shemer Art Center exhibition — Me with *Network* at the Shemer Art Center exhibition

April was a great month for opportunities to exhibit!

My painting Network was juried into the Arizona Watercolor Association’s spring exhibition at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, which opened on April 13 and runs through May 20. The opening reception on April 15 was very busy, and there are many great water media paintings of all styles included in the show. Definitely worth a visit!

I got out my brushes and returned to the muse of my neighborhood’s Little Free Libraries, this time incorporating some of the equally muse-worthy lovebirds that dart about through the trees on my street. What better name could I choose but Love Story? This piece, along with two others, was juried into Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s exhibition Mujeres, Mujeres, Mujeres, which features art by women from around the globe. Raices Taller is located in Tucson, but in keeping with COVID-19 precautions the exhibition is entirely virtual and can be viewed on their website.

My painting Transmission, which I completed in February, was accepted to exhibit at Portland on the Park residences in Phoenix through late-August. This is a very interesting concept in which the residents of the development help select artwork for display and also contribute to a fund that is used to purchase some of the pieces for a permanent collection at the site. You can read more about this program at artlinkphx.org/inresidence.

Me with two of my paintings at Rachel Walters’ shop

I also delivered a few of my pieces to Tucson to hang at Rachel Walters Collection’s amazing new shop. Rachel creates gorgeous, handcrafted fashions that can be purchased at her shop or via her website. I’m so grateful to have met her and to be able to inhabit a part of her beautifully curated space. Her shop features some wonderful treasures by other local creatives as well. It’s fun to have a reason to go to Tucson more frequently; I definitely miss living in the Old Pueblo!

Aside from more weekend fun rockhounding in the desert, the big adventure highlight of the month was the opportunity to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend, and Sedona with my dear friend Jenny and her sister Kat. It was around my fifth visit to Bryce Canyon, a place that is truly jaw-dropping and a definite contender for “best national park” in my book. Lots of good times were had with these two fun and adventurous ladies, and I look forward to the next time we get to explore together.

Finally, I finished the month with a visit to Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona, with my friend Kalisha. It was a fantastic time to visit, with many of the cacti blooming and the temperatures still hospitable. We visited on Kentucky Oaks Day, and even managed to find an equine photo opportunity in the gardens in commemoration of the fillies’ big day back home in Louisville.

I completed two commissioned canine portraits in April. I was hired by a friend’s husband to create these pieces and it was a great deal of fun to bring them to life. He gave them to her as a birthday gift (per her suggestion) and she seemed absolutely thrilled with the end result. I really enjoy creating such meaningful gifts, thinking of how they will be treasured and enjoyed. It’s truly an honor!

I created four total paintings in April. Two of these pieces were the commissioned dog portraits, one was Love Story, and the fourth I titled Palo Verde Parade. Palo Verde Parade is a tribute to Arizona’s state tree which is totally doing its big burst of yellow blooming thing right now. It’s a gorgeous if slightly allergy-inducing sight and I couldn’t resist celebrating them.

Palo Verde Parade is still available for purchase via my website and Love Story is available through Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can work on a commission for you or if you need help with framing one of the pieces you see available for sale!

Me and Kalisha with the horse (statue) we found!

Gryffin's Gaze 11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord SOLD (commission). — *Gryffin's Gaze*
11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord
SOLD (commission).

Super Scout 11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord SOLD (commission). — *Super Scout*
11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord
SOLD (commission).

Love Story 11x14”, Gouache on Aquabord For sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop as of this blog post. — *Love Story*
11x14”, Gouache on Aquabord
For sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop as of this blog post.

Palo Verde Parade 8x10”, Gouache on Aqua Coldpress Black Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Palo Verde Parade*
8x10”, Gouache on Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Shop for art now ›

My Life & Artwork - September to December 2020

December 29, 2020 Teressa Jackson

Well, the last few months of 2020 ROCKED!

You think I’m joking, right? 2020 was terrible, wasn’t it? Well, I’m actually mostly serious. Read on to find out why…

Me with the Tucson Weekly cover featuring Quarantine Queen (P.S. Quarantine Queen is still available for purchase as of this blog posting) — Me with the *Tucson Weekly* cover featuring *Quarantine Queen* (P.S. *Quarantine Queen* is still available for purchase as of this blog posting)

September started out with a pretty amazing professional achievement for me. Some might say that having my painting Quarantine Queen grace the cover of the September 3-9, 2020, Tucson Weekly “rocked” – and I would agree with them! This painting was part of Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s virtual “Corazones Unidos” exhibition, and I am grateful to the folks with Raices Taller for sharing the work with the Tucson Weekly. This resulted in the painting being featured on the cover of the weekly and also reviewed in the arts section. This might just be the true highlight of 2020 for me.

In October, Aaron and I started rockhounding. For anyone who doesn’t know, that means we went out searching for interesting and potentially valuable rocks. We had been talking about doing this for a while, and the weather finally cooled down enough that it was possible to enjoy the desert again. We started out with a well-known site called Saddle Mountain, located on public land that is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and located about an hour west of our home. Rockhounds have hit Saddle Mountain in search of fire agate for several decades, and although this means the site is relatively picked over, the vastness of the landscape means there are always treasures to be found. And we have indeed found a few. :-)

With rocks dancing in our heads, in early November we took a little trip to the Arizona/New Mexico border near Safford, Arizona. Fire agate was also the target of this excursion, and we enjoyed hunting and scoring some finds at Black Hills Rockhound Area, Round Mountain Rockhound Area, and along a road outside Clifton, Arizona.

November also brought a visit from my dear friend and former college roommate, Jenny. It was her first time in the Grand Canyon State and I couldn’t resist taking her to the Grand Canyon. The greatly reduced crowds (I have NEVER seen so few people at the Grand Canyon, which I would normally equate to Disneyland), we even scored one of the historic cabins on the rim. It was a lovely few days together and I was sad to see her go.

Jenny and me on the way to the Grand Canyon, overlooking Oak Creek Canyon outside Flagstaff

I also made it down to Tucson to see my second cousin Kim and my good friend Ursula. It was nice to be back in the Old Pueblo and to have a little human interaction. Ursula was such a great host and we cooked some delicious food and did some hiking in a couple of beautiful areas around her home in Vail, Arizona. I also enjoyed seeing all of the beautiful art she has been cooking up - check her out at www.ursulaschneider.art.

November’s rockhounding adventures took us to find Apache tears near Superior, Arizona, and on a wild goose chase looking for mine dumps way up the mountains on a crazy dirt road to Crown King, Arizona. We found a lot of Apache tears, which are round(ish) globs of translucent black volcanic glass that form in perlite. A legend of the Apache tribe explains the name: about 75 Apaches and the US Cavalry fought on a mountain overlooking what is now Superior, in the 1870s. As they faced defeat, the outnumbered Apaches rode their horses off the mountain to their deaths rather than be killed. Their wives and families cried when they heard of the tragedy and their tears are said to have turned into stone upon hitting the ground.

In early December we visited a site near Wickenburg, Arizona. It was a beautiful drive but we didn’t make any good finds. We spent most of the rest of December’s rockhounding adventures in the area around Tonopah, Arizona, looking for fire agates, Fourth of July Butte agates, and brightly colored jasper.

A Few Rockhounding Photos

Our poor pup Lola got very sick in early December. She was lethargic, had no appetite, and was running a fever. The vet ran some tests and she was diagnosed with Valley Fever, a fungal infection that dogs as well as humans sometimes get in the desert if you are unlucky enough to inhale the spores. Thankfully, after a few days of medication, she started doing much better. She still has a cough, but it will go away over time. She has to take medication for an entire year to prevent a relapse!

Around our neighborhood, I located what I named the “Poultry Epicenter,” which turned out to be basically about a block away. Tucked in amongst a few dead-end streets, I had just missed the source of the cock-a-doodle-doing until this time. There is a truly mind-boggling array of fowl in this neighborhood, including peafowl, guinea fowl, and literally hundreds of chickens in all colors and varieties. These are feral birds and they are supposedly protected and grandfathered in from when the area was a chicken and citrus farm many decades ago.

In addition to the Raices Taller show in September, I participated in a virtual exhibition with the Arizona Watercolor Association in November and in “Regalitos,” a second virtual exhibition with Raices Taller in December. I produced a variety of art over these few months which I have included below. Several pieces have sold but there are still a few treasures to be scored if you’re in the mood for art!

Shop for art now ›

September

The Chapel of the Holy Saguaro 14x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - purchase from Raices Taller gallery through January 2 or visit my online shop after that date to purchase (if still available… — *The Chapel of the Holy Saguaro*
14x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - purchase from Raices Taller gallery through January 2 or visit my online shop after that date to purchase (if still available).

Sowing the Seeds of Solidarity 7x5”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Sowing the Seeds of Solidarity*
7x5”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

October

Information Superhighway 8x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD (Commission). — *Information Superhighway*
8x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD (Commission).

Magical Mystery Hare 8x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD (Commission). — *Magical Mystery Hare*
8x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD (Commission).

Sunflower Sunset 8x8”, Watercolor, Graphite, Ink, & Gel Pen on Paper SOLD. — *Sunflower Sunset*
8x8”, Watercolor, Graphite, Ink, & Gel Pen on Paper
SOLD.

November

All You Need Is Love 7x5”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper I created this as a wedding gift for a dear friend. — *All You Need Is Love*
7x5”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper
I created this as a wedding gift for a dear friend.

Superior Secret 3x2”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Superior Secret*
3x2”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Last Light 3x2”, Watercolor and Gouache on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Last Light*
3x2”, Watercolor and Gouache on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Cienega Cottonwoods 3x2”, Watercolor, Gouache, and Ink on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Cienega Cottonwoods*
3x2”, Watercolor, Gouache, and Ink on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

December

When Life Hands You Lemons, You Make Lemon Eggs 6x4”, Gouache on 300 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper SOLD. — *When Life Hands You Lemons, You Make Lemon Eggs*
6x4”, Gouache on 300 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper
SOLD.

A Quail of a Tale 8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD. — *A Quail of a Tale*
8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Legion Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD.

Marma-Laid 6x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Marma-Laid*
6x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Did Someone Say Orange Chicken? 6x4”, Gouache on 300 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper SOLD. — *Did Someone Say Orange Chicken?*
6x4”, Gouache on 300 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper
SOLD.

Midcentury Magnate 24x18”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper Pending submission to upcoming exhibition; contact me for details on purchasing. — *Midcentury Magnate*
24x18”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper
Pending submission to upcoming exhibition; contact me for details on purchasing.

Shop for art now ›

My Life & Artwork - August 2020

September 3, 2020 Teressa Jackson

And just like that - August is here!

As I mentioned last month, it’s been hot, hot, hot here in the Valley of the Sun. Honestly, though, I hadn’t realized just how hot it had been until I saw that we had hit 50 days of 110 degrees or above this year, obliterating the previous record of 33 days in 2011. Thank you, Willis Carrier, for the gift of cool indoor air!

We did finally get a monsoon storm this month, and it was pretty epic, with 60 mile per hour winds that nearly took out the large ash tree in my backyard and caused a couple of cactus casualties in my front yard. Cleanup was a bear.

Much like July, August was low-key due to heat and quarantine life. Lola and I enjoyed our early morning walks, and Aaron and I spent the month visiting a lake a weekend. We have now visited Lake Pleasant, Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake, and Bartlett Lake, all of which are about an hour’s drive from our house. While I enjoyed them all in different ways, the gorgeous scenery at Bartlett Lake made it my favorite and I have officially given it the Best Lake Award.

I got a haircut for the first time since February, and sadly, that now seems like big news. I figured since it had been six months I should get at least that many inches cut off, and chop, chop, chop, I felt like a new woman.

The prickly scene at Usery Mountain Regional Park

The high temperature FINALLY dipped below 100 degrees and I went to Usery Mountain Regional Park for a little hike on the last day of August. It was still pretty warm, but nice to get out in the desert and see how my prickly friends were doing.

As for art, I had two paintings accepted into an upcoming online juried exhibition hosted by Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson. The show is entitled “Corozones Unidos” (Hearts United) and will run from Sept. 12 to Oct. 24 at raicestaller222.com. One of those paintings, Quarantine Queen, was reviewed by the Tucson Weekly and will be featured on the September 3, 2020, issue cover! I’m so grateful to the Tucson Weekly for the coverage and to Raices Taller for their continued hard work to represent local and regional artists. I’ve had the great fortune to show my work with them several times over the past couple of years.

I created five paintings this month, continuing to focus on desert creatures and my neighborhood surroundings. I’ve decided to include more of a description of each painting alongside each piece in this month’s blog, so please check them out below and learn more about the thought behind them. All of this month’s paintings remain for sale as of this blog posting.

Shop for art now ›

About this painting:

I spent some time this month admiring and learning about hummingbirds, and one of the fascinating things I discovered is that they require spiderwebs to build their nests. These cute little thieves would find their nests coming unglued and their precious TicTac-sized cargo tumbling to the ground if it wasn’t for the hard work of the arachnids around them.

As I put this scene together, I thought about how many ways that we are all networked - from the hummingbirds’ reliance on the spiderweb to the spiderweb itself to the tree roots and the antennae on the mountain in the distance, there’s a lot of give and take to this world. May we always remember that our actions always have impact beyond ourselves!

Network 10x16”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — Network
10x16”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

About this painting:

I recently discovered that a type of parrot, the rosy-faced lovebird, also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, lives in my neighborhood. I first spotted them at a bird feeder about a block from my house. Now that I’m tuned into them, I have seen them in trees and amongst the blooming Mexican sunflowers. I even counted 19 of them one recent morning!

These critters are native to southwestern Africa but flourish in the Phoenix climate. A sizable number of them apparently live wild in the city and surrounding area. Of course I had to pay tribute to these sweet little creatures in a painting, and dreamed up this scene located in the fictitious locale of “Love Street, Parrotzona.”

Love Street, Parrotzona 10x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Love Street, Parrotzona*
10x8”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

About this painting:

I have a pair of hummingbirds who camp out in the large ash tree in my backyard. They’re such amazing creatures, many of whom make huge migratory journeys. I couldn’t help but envision all that they must see along the way and how those sights have changed over the years, becoming more and more developed.

My tree (which is likely over 70 years old) took a beating in the monsoon storm we had during August and around a third of it either crashed to the ground or had to be removed, but thankfully these wee winged ones made it through just fine. They continue to party out there, getting drunk on sugar water and enjoying their redecorated space.

Mile Marker 2,265 8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Mile Marker 2,265*
8x10”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

About this painting:

The rosy-faced lovebird, a type of parrot that is native to Africa, thrives in my Phoenix neighborhood. It’s thought that these brightly-colored birds found their way into the wild here as escaped pets. Ironically enough, they love the Mexican sunflowers that grow in abundance here; these same flowers were exported to Africa as an ornamental plant and fertilizer and are now found in abundance in many locales there. It’s a small world after all.

The Immigrant 5x7”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *The Immigrant*
5x7”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

About this painting:

In April 2019, I said “hasta luego” to Tucson and moved up I-10 to the Phoenix metro. I knew I would miss the wildlife outside my door, stunning views, nice people, and amazing culinary scene. Apparently, the javelina decided they were going to miss the culinary scene of my porch and on my last evening in town they had a little adios fiesta and chowed down on my potted plants. This fun and “totally Tucson” memory inspired this painting, entitled Sonoran Salad Bar. I know that salad bars are a big no-no during this whole COVID situation, but I don’t think the javelina care about social distancing, hand washing, or much else other than filling their bellies.

Sonoran Salad Bar 5x7”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Sonoran Salad Bar*
5x7”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Shop for art now ›

My Life & Artwork - December 2019

January 20, 2020 Teressa Jackson

Wow, where did 2019 go?

I began December by attending the opening reception of “Tiny Works V” at The Gallery in Phoenix. I had three paintings included in this juried show. I also had three paintings in “Regalitos” at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson, but unfortunately had to miss the reception for that exhibition.

Aaron and I decided to take a little trip south of the border to Puerto Vallarta this month. Direct flights from Phoenix are quite reasonable and only about 2 hours long. We love Mexico and were certainly not disappointed with the scene in Puerto Vallarta. It is truly a charming historic city with delicious food (including many vegetarian friendly options!), walkable neighborhoods, and beautiful beaches, of course! Highlights were eating some of the best empanadas ever and a trip out to the Marietas Islands and the “hidden beach” that is located there. I felt incredibly safe in Puerto Vallarta and the city is firmly on my “will return” list.

The rest of the month was largely spent painting, working, and being a little bit boring. I tried out a new painting surface, Crescent Watercolor Board, and was overall pleased with the results. I used it in “Aloe View” and “Arizona Gold,” both of which are pictured below and still available for sale. I will definitely buy this surface again. It acts more like paper, but doesn’t curl. However it does stain more readily than Arches paper. It’s a nice in-between when looking at the qualities of Arches paper versus Aquabord.

Other than that, honestly, it has been one of those “I don’t know where the time goes” months. :-) My mom flew out to visit at the end of the month, but since her visit included the new year, I’ll report on it in my next blog.

I hope that 2020 holds many good things for you, and I expect it to provide me with some awesomeness, too!
xoxoxo ~TJ

Shop for art on my website now ›

Sun setting along Playa Muertos, Puerto Vallarta

“Inherent Heart” 5x5”, Watercolor on Paper SOLD. — “Inherent Heart”
5x5”, Watercolor on Paper
SOLD.

“Verdant Vortex” 5x5”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Verdant Vortex”
5x5”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Aloe View” 12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Aloe View”
12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Arizona Gold” 12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Arizona Gold”
12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Bouquet” 5x5”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Bouquet”
5x5”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

Shop for art on my website now ›

My Life & Artwork - November 2019

December 3, 2019 Teressa Jackson

November was a fun and beautiful month here in the desert! I kicked it off with a Intuitive Farm-to-Table Plant Based Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain. Kalisha attended with me and we crafted some beautiful and tasty dishes with veggies from the farm and around the Phoenix area. The Farm at South Mountain is very near my apartment, and I look forward to returning there to explore more. It seemed a bit like a slightly more upscale “Huber’s” type place (that reference will only make sense to people from the Louisville area).

I enjoyed the amazing weather with hiking at Usery Mountain Regional Park, a visit to Desert Botanical Garden on their monthly “free” day, and a trek up the Hieroglyphics Trail just west of here in Gold Canyon. The Hieroglyphics trail was a special treat, with gorgeous scenery, spectacular clouds, and a plethora of petroglyphs at the trail’s end. I’m always awed by these markings and being able to put myself in the same place as people 1,500 or so years ago. There were some nice pools of water there, which I’m sure were the one of the draws for the ancient peoples.

Aaron and I decided to get out of town for Thanksgiving, and rented a cottage in Oak Creek Canyon just outside of Sedona. It was a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery. Sedona is a bit cooler than Phoenix, so we expected to need to dress more warmly. I had spotted a little snowflake on the weather forecast, but I was not prepared for the amount of snow we were greeted with Friday morning! Several inches covered everything and it was so beautiful. We hung out in the snowy scenery all morning and then made our way back to Phoenix. The trip involved snow, rain, and even some hail, and I later discovered that Highway 89A where we were staying in Oak Creek Canyon closed shortly after we left. It was hard to believe that a couple of hours later when we were staring a palm trees and blue skies.

I created 13 paintings this month. These ranged from some quick sketches and miniature pieces to large detailed work. Six of my miniature paintings headed to two different art exhibitions this month at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson and 9 The Gallery in Phoenix. As many galleries do this time of year, the shows focus on small, affordable works for the holiday shopping crowd. The show at 9 The Gallery, entitled “Tiny Works V,” is my first at a gallery in Phoenix, and I look forward to attending the reception on Friday, December 6.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw in an extra ask that you please consider supporting your favorite small business local starving artist this holiday season! My website has items from $3.99 on up, and I recently rolled out free shipping on every item in my online shop. Don’t forget you can also get my designs on stuff like t-shirts, pillows, notebooks, journals, mugs, tote bags, clocks, and more on my Redbubble profile. If you don't see an artwork of mine on Redbubble that you would like to purchase in this manner, please let me know and I can easily add it. Thanks for considering supporting me when you shop!

Shop for art on my website now ›

“La Luz de Viejo” 9x12”, Watercolor on Claybord For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “La Luz de Viejo”
9x12”, Watercolor on Claybord
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“The Smith Building” 3x3”, Watercolor on Paper Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery — “The Smith Building”
3x3”, Watercolor on Paper
Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery

“Low Tide Spectacular” 3x3”, Watercolor on Paper Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery — “Low Tide Spectacular”
3x3”, Watercolor on Paper
Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery

“Fruita del Desierto” 3x3”, Watercolor on Paper Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery — “Fruita del Desierto”
3x3”, Watercolor on Paper
Currently on exhibit/for sale at The Gallery

“Encanto Ebb” 3x2”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Encanto Ebb”
3x2”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Las Olas” 3x2”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Las Olas”
3x2”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Conspicuously Hidden” 2x3”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Conspicuously Hidden”
2x3”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

Original photo (also original photo for “The Middle Way” (below)

“Fibonacci Display” 2x3”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Fibonacci Display”
2x3”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“The Middle Way” 10x14”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “The Middle Way”
10x14”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Javelina Selfie” 5x7”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Javelina Selfie”
5x7”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Superstitious Skies” 5x5”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Superstitious Skies”
5x5”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Gold Canyon Trail” 5x7”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Gold Canyon Trail”
5x7”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

Shop for art on my website now ›

My Life & Artwork - September 2019

October 2, 2019 Teressa Jackson

Buckle up kids, this might be a long one!

As I reported last month, Aaron and I kicked off September with a trip to the beach in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, a 4-hour drive from the Phoenix metro. We stayed in an area we had not visited that was located to the east of the town, and the beach there was the most beautiful one we have encountered in the area. The tides in Puerto Peñasco are some of the most dramatic in the world, and they were especially so with the new moon in the sky. One night, I watched the water retract at sunset faster than water leaving a bathtub, leaving beautiful patterns in the sand. It was incredible!

The area was largely undeveloped (even our condo building was still being built) and there were no neighboring properties. It was a peaceful getaway, but we did awaken in the middle of the night the night before Labor Day to no electricity. It never came back on. Such is Mexico, I guess! We headed for the border and even with a quite early departure, the wait to enter the U.S. was about 2 hours.

I was accepted into the juried “Share Our Walls” exhibition at the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild in Tucson, which opened September 8 and runs until October 6. The reception was toasty with a broken air conditioner in the gallery, but the show was full of cool works of art and I was honored to have my work displayed along with them.

In addition to the SAWG show, the collaborative artwork that my friend Ursula Schneider and I created was accepted into the “Colaboraciones” show at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson. I also received an e-mail early in the month from a collaborative workspace called Industrious Tempe that will be opening at the end of October, asking if I would like to display my artwork there. It looks like it will be a beautiful space and I can’t wait to see my work adorn their walls.

Me with “La Corona” at the SAWG reception

Unfortunately, I missed the reception for the Raices Taller show because my friend Kalisha and I took a weekend trip to Flagstaff after I won tickets to the Northern Arizona Food and Wine festival . It was a great excuse to get away to the cooler elevations and have a little “girls trip.” We had a wonderful time and I’m so grateful for the friendship of my fellow Louisville to Arizona transplant.

“Fall” began to arrive here, and high temperatures dipped to the 90’s and even the 80’s. My cabin fever had indeed about exceeded its level of tolerability, and I hit the trails. I visited the always-magical Desert Botanical Garden mid-month, took day trips to Payson and Prescott, and hiked at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa.

The trip to Payson included stops along the Salt River, Saguaro Lake, and finally the Tonto Natural Bridge, the largest travertine natural bridge in the world. I had longed to visit Watson Lake in Prescott for a couple of years, and it did not disappoint. It is a manmade lake that abuts the Granite Dells, composed of gorgeous rock formations. I hiked the entire perimeter of the lake and I’m quite sure I’ll be back to do it again and again.

The always-gorgeous Desert Botanical Garden

At Usery Mountain Regional Park, I spent time really looking at and admiring the many personalities and configurations that saguaros display, and photographed many of them. Four of these characters became my final paintings of the month, a series I’m playing with naming “Cacticatures,” a play on the word caricature.

As I have the past couple of years, I’ve designed a 2020 calendar featuring some of my favorite paintings of 2019 and it’s currently on pre-sale. Sales will be closed after November 3, and I don’t plan to order any extras because I certainly can’t use more than one myself. I anticipate shipping the calendars out to customers on December 1. So, if you’re so inclined, get one while you can.

The 10 paintings I created in September and the photos that inspired them are included following a few photos from this month’s adventures. Where will I find my next inspiration?

And with that, I bid you a happy October! Perhaps I will find some changing leaves up a mountain somewhere. I do miss bright orange and red maples, but the magic of nature lives everywhere in different forms. I’ll appreciate what I have at my doorstep. Cheers!

Shop for art now ›

Dawn along the Salt River, with Four Peaks on the horizon

September 2019 Artwork

“Sonoran Anemones” 12x12”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition. — “Sonoran Anemones”
12x12”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper
This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition.

“Glochidia Generator” 7x7”, Watercolor on Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Glochidia Generator”
7x7”, Watercolor on Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“T View” 20x8”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition. — “T View”
20x8”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper
This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition.

“Tierra de Tortolita” 10x4”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Tierra de Tortolita”
10x4”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Cache” 10x4”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition. — “Cache”
10x4”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper
This piece is on hold for upcoming exhibition.

“Adios Amigos” 5x7”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper SOLD — “Adios Amigos”
5x7”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper
SOLD

Tentative series title: “Cacticatures” Each panel measures 3x9”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper This series is on hold for upcoming exhibition. — Tentative series title: “Cacticatures”
Each panel measures 3x9”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper
This series is on hold for upcoming exhibition.

Shop for art now ›

My Life & Artwork - July 2019

August 28, 2019 Teressa Jackson

July began with a Fourth of July trip to Page, Arizona, and the beautiful jewel that is Lake Powell. Aaron and I swam at Lone Rock beach, kayaked into Antelope Canyon, and ventured along with the hordes of other tourists to the Horseshoe Bend overlook. It’s a beautiful part of the state and a tiny bit cooler than the Phoenix metro thanks to its elevation. Plus… water!

Monsoon season continued through July, but was largely a bust. There were a couple of minor storms in the evening, but nothing compared to last year’s sky entertainment. I believe they have received a bit more monsoon action in Tucson, but it’s been less eventful there, too. Weather does what it wants.

I worked on two larger paintings this month with exhibitions in mind. I entered “La Corona” in the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild’s Share our Walls juried exhibition and “Return to Goblin Valley” was entered into Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s Historias e Identidades (Histories and Identities) juried exhibition. I wrote a separate blog post about “Return to Goblin Valley,” explaining the meaning of this place to my own history and identity. Both pieces were accepted in their respective galleries. The SAWG show will run from 9/5-10/6/19, with an opening reception on 9/8 from 2-4 p.m. and the Raices Taller show runs through September 7.

Overall, I completed eight paintings in July. “Return to Goblin Valley” is currently for sale at Raices Taller and “La Corona” will be available for purchase at SAWG during their exhibition. Both galleries are located in Tucson. Five of the paintings I created, displayed at the bottom of this blog post, are all available for sale on my website as of this blog posting - starting at just $15.

I wrapped up July and began August with a change of scenery, visiting my sister’s family and my mother in Corvallis, Oregon. It was a wonderful time full of love and laughs, green scenery, a short trip to the coastal area around Yachats, and my first experience seeing Wicked the musical in Eugene. It was a good month!

Lightning I caught during an evening monsoon shower

Shop for art now ›

“La Ventana Natural Arch, El Malpais National Monument, Grants, New Mexico: 6/8/19, 15:01:39” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “La Ventana Natural Arch, El Malpais National Monument, Grants, New Mexico: 6/8/19, 15:01:39”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico: 6/10/19, 8:22:19” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico: 6/10/19, 8:22:19”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Superior, Arizona: 5/10/19, 10:30:06” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Superior, Arizona: 5/10/19, 10:30:06”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: 6/7/19, 12:44:05” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: 6/7/19, 12:44:05”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Mesa, Arizona: 5/12/19, 10:06:30” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Mesa, Arizona: 5/12/19, 10:06:30”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“Mesa, Arizona: 5/12/19, 09:21:08” 3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — “Mesa, Arizona: 5/12/19, 09:21:08”
3x2” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

“La Corona” 20x16” watercolor on 2” cradled Aquabord Available for purchase at Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild from 9/5-10/6/19. — “La Corona”
20x16” watercolor on 2” cradled Aquabord
Available for purchase at Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild from 9/5-10/6/19.

“Return to Goblin Valley” 12x16” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper Available for purchase at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop until 9/7/19. — “Return to Goblin Valley”
12x16” watercolor on 140 lb. watercolor paper
Available for purchase at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop until 9/7/19.

Shop for art now ›

Return to Goblin Valley

July 28, 2019 Teressa Jackson

I am pleased to announce that my painting “Return to Goblin Valley” has been accepted for exhibition in Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “Historias e Identidades (Histories and Identities)” show. The exhibition will open with a reception on Saturday, August 3, 2019, from 6 - 9 p.m and runs through September 7, 2019. Raices Taller is located at 218 E. 6th Street in Tucson, Arizona. Unfortunately, I will be on a trip to visit family in Oregon during the opening, but I encourage anyone who is able to attend. Their receptions are always a wonderful time full of lively fun!

And now, I share a story about this painting and why a landscape scene from Utah’s Goblin Valley relates to my own personal history and identity.

“The Artist is no other than he who unlearns what he has learned, in order to know himself.”

–E. E. Cummings

Return to Goblin Valley
by Teressa L. Jackson

The photo from which I painted, taken in 2017 when I revisited Goblin Valley with my mother

We pull up to the rim and peer down at the city of bulbous creatures that awaits us. Our imaginations take off like the lawnmower our father had once used to manicure our Midwestern yard. On the dividing line between child and woman, my sister Dee and I both fall back into old familiar territory for a sweet afternoon.

There are passageways and rooms, solitary figures and looming families. “This is my house!” I shout, but I don’t mind if Dee joins me in it. We had spent nearly our entire lives in a standard white post-war Cape Cod house, but in the couple of years leading up to this day, our father’s thin, towering 6’7” frame was no longer a part of that home.

When Dad left southern Indiana in pursuit of that elusive perfect job, Dee and I remained behind, learning to navigate airports a couple times a year. In our tween years, we were young enough for these trips to be frightening and old enough to find them exhilarating. In the late 1980’s, there were no mobile phones and no internet. We were disconnected, roaming free, changing planes through O’Hare’s hurried urban masses and disembarking in his new home, the Rocky Mountain wonderland of Salt Lake City.

The first few years we made this repeated cross-country journey, we enjoyed adventures that must have seemed exotic to our friends back home. We rode snowmobiles in the Rocky Mountains, learned to ski in the powder, breathed in the Grand Canyon, and smelled the sulfur of bubbling cauldrons and steaming geysers at Yellowstone.

Soon we entered the world of high school spectacle and our gravities shifted. We traded shared vistas and road trips for landline telephone custody battles. A year apart in school, Dee’s friends were what I considered “nerdy-popular.” I hung with the skateboarders, feeling a different exhilaration at punk rock shows and along Louisville’s Bardstown Road corridor.

That day at Goblin Valley seemed distant and almost forgotten most times over the decades that followed, but occasionally still surfaced as one of my fondest memories. As age forty loomed, my childhood years spent among desert, mountains, and sweeping views beckoned to me. I needed to return to these places – to rekindle my creativity, reawaken my sense of adventure, and reconnect with my original self.

I’ve spent the last three years becoming reacquainted with that young woman who visited Goblin Valley for the first time. I’ve revisited that wonderland and met new ones across the Southwest and beyond. My father and I haven’t spoken in nearly ten years, and it’s unlikely that we will ever do so again. However, I remain grateful for the foundation he laid through those early adventures and the way those places permanently shaped me.

I am, once again, the girl I left behind in that valley.

Me at Goblin Valley in 2017 (photo credit: Susan Jackson)

Umm... Happy 2019!? (I'm a bit of a slacker.)

April 9, 2019 Teressa Jackson

Hey there!

Yep, it’s April 9, and I am just now writing my first blog post for 2019. Whoops!

Anyhoo, I’m doing it now. And that’s what counts, right? It’s not like I can go back in time…

One of the big themes for the first part of 2019 was SNOW. Say what?! Yes, that’s right, on rare occasions, even Tucson gets some of that fluffy white stuff. This year, the mountains got dusted, capped, and coated so many times that I lost count, starting on New Year’s Day itself. The highlight, though, was February 22, when even the city of Tucson itself saw white flakes falling from the sky. My friend Ursula and I made sure that this rarity didn’t go to waste, and had a wonderful time playing in the snow at Saguaro National Park East. I even built a snowman!

I continued to exhibit my artwork at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. The first show of 2019, “Año Nuevo, Obras Nuevas,” displayed three of my larger landscapes I created in 2018. I sold “Cactus Cartel,” a scene from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, to a collector from Portland, Oregon. I have another set of paintings on display there currently in their “Common Ground” exhibition (a tribute to Cesar Chavez), and have reportedly sold "Tomato,” a piece featuring the architecture of tomato roots (see below in my art round-up for image). I’m very pleased with the response to my work through these opportunities, and so very grateful to this non-profit gallery for all of their hard work.

Aaron and I took a couple of trips these past few months. We stayed in Choya Bay outside of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, at the end of January, enjoying the sounds and the smells of the sea, as well as some beers and Mexican food at JJ’s Cantina up the road. In March, we visited a different body of water, spending a long weekend at Lake Havasu City, where the Colorado River is dammed to form a beautiful desert oasis.

Mom and me at the Desert Botanical Gardens

February and March both brought some familiar faces to Arizona. In February, we enjoyed a visit from my sweet mom, and I had a great time touring her around Tucson. It was fun to give her a more in-depth experience of the area, visiting several local eateries, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tubac, San Xavier del Bac, Desert Botanical Garden, Saguaro National Park, and part of the Tucson Gem Show. My dear friend Allison visited for about 48 hours in March, and a whirlwind tour of Mexican eateries, Saguaro National Park, and Ironwood Forest National Monument ensued.

The snow and plentiful rain did their job this year, and wildflowers have abounded this spring. For the past month and a half, swaths of the desert have been covered in yellow, pink, orange, and blue. They popped on the hills around Lake Havasu, ran down the slopes of Picacho Peak, and prettied up the route to Ironwood Forest National Monument. It’s a good thing that digital cameras exist, because I hate to know how many rolls of film I would have devoted to capturing their precious petals.

Ursula and I hiked in the Superstition Mountains mid-March. This trip turned out to be a foreshadowing of things to come, as the Superstitions are located just east of the Phoenix metro area. Two weeks after our beautiful hiking adventure, Aaron and I relocated to Tempe, which is immediately adjacent to the east of the city of Phoenix, so that Aaron could pursue a new career opportunity. I’m adjusting to a slightly faster pace of living, more traffic, abundant Indian restaurants (if you know me, you know this makes me HAPPY!), and slightly less amazing views. I’m excited to have a new place to explore, new opportunities, and a closer proximity to places like the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu, Sedona, and my friend Kalisha! I’ll certainly miss Tucson, but luckily it’s still only an hour-and-a-half drive down I-10.

Last but not least, I cranked out 28 paintings over the past 3 months, including several commissions. I also marked down all paintings created prior to 2019, and sale prices will remain in effect until those pieces find a new home. All of my January, February, and March 2019 creations are featured below, with availability at the time of this blog posting indicated.

I’ll try to do better with next month’s blog post! Cheers to 2019!

Shop now ›