Jesse Wall is a self taught artist, whose style and passion for art, as he describes it,  was “developed like good photography - in the dark.” When his life hit “a serious rough patch” the artist had to abandon many things that he had come to view as so important and find new perspective and purpose. He began to reexamine himself spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, and artistically. “I was incredibly full of emotions and a deep need to connect with others. Words, of which I’ve never been short, could no longer say what I needed to put out there. It was in art that I found a second language. One that was both internal as well as external.” It is through this “second language” that the artist now labors to connect with others, as well as himself.

Jesse works primarily in pastel, oil, charcoal and graphite. The majority of his work is normally categorized as landscapes or figurative/portrait work. Yet when asked about his body of work, the artist describes his creations saying, “I only paint self portraits.” He explains, “art is never about the subject. [Art] is an image that tells a story about the artist’s life, his emotional state, his thoughts, his experiences. It is a look into his soul at what captivates him and resonates within his person.  My process of creating is about self discovery. Although I may paint a scene that shows my father sitting in a chair reading a paper, by the end it is myself, not my father, that I am learning about....I’m fairly obsessed with the idea of content vs. form in art...What is beautiful about art, and life for that matter, is that no one sees it the same. While I work at my art, it becomes a “self-portrait” to me, like a mirror or looking glass. Yet as other people encounter the piece bringing their individual experiences and emotions to the work, it then becomes a self-portrait to the viewer, and the process of discovery begins for them.”

Besides working on his “self-portraits,” he also works doing commissioned portraits. For information, pricing, and availability to do commission work please visit the Commissions page.  For project inquiries, including pricing estimates, please email the artist directly by visiting our Contact page.

Jesse calls the beautiful state of Maine “home,” (Ayuh, he’s native) where he lives with his family, and among his many good friends.