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Interview with Jessica Galbreth
Featured Artist for October 2000
Would you introduce yourself and give a little personal background?
My name is Jessica Galbreth and I am the artist behind the Enchanted-Art Collection - a collection of watercolor paintings featuring faeries, goddesses and other women from mythology. I founded my studio in 1999 in Northwest Ohio.
How long have you been an artist?
Since I could hold a crayon!!! I have always loved to draw, but I only recently began my professional art career.
How long have you been creating fantasy art?
Since last year. I had started off my art career doing portraits of children and pets, but found myself bored. Just for fun I did a few drawings of faeries and posted them on a homepage. I started getting e-mail after e-mail and decided to get serious about it. I had a professional page built for me, and started the Enchanted-Art Collection. I absolutely love fantasy art - the artist has free reign to use any color combinations, features, etc. It is the ultimate use of the creative imagination!
Have you had any formal training in the fine arts?
Yes, I attended the Visual Arts Center within the Toledo Museum of Art for three years on a full-time basis where I majored in painting.
What are your biggest artistic influences and inspirations?
I love to read the stories from ancient Celtic and Greek mythology. I try to envision how the goddesses, faeries and other creatures would have looked. I also get a tremendous amount of inspiration from long walks in the woods that surround my home in Ohio.
Can you describe your creative process - how you come up with ideas for a new drawing and how you take those ideas and create a finished piece of art.
I get the first, general idea for a new painting from my many resources on mythology. I am fascinated with the stories of women in particular. Once I've finished reading about the character, I try to envision her in my mind. I then lay it out in pencil and make changes until I am satisfied. Then I begin painting, which is truly my favorite part of the process - it is so relaxing to me. I will start painting and what feels like five minutes later is really several hours later - time just flies!
Do you have a favorite fantasy artist or an artist you admire?
Yes, without a doubt it is Brian Froud. His books on faeries are what started me off in the direction I've headed. I can just sit and stare at his work for hours.
What advice would you give to young artists who are just starting out?
First of all, perfect your own unique style. Find a niche, that is - find a subject matter that others are interested in. Then, just get your stuff out there. The internet is an amazing tool for artists today - it allows you to reach people all over the world fairly easily. Lastly, don't be afraid of criticism - try to learn from it and just keep going - it will pay off!
If you could be a character from a fantasy novel, movie or game, who would you be?
I would be Queen Mab from A Midsummer Night's Dream - the movie. That movie is so magical and portrays faery mythology very well.
Finally, what cartoons did you watch as a kid?
I can't remember being a huge fan of cartoons that showed every day, but there is an animated movie that I still love to watch to this day called The Last Unicorn. It is filled with fantasy creatures and other enchanting things.
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