Jessie Lawson

Wymzee Art is proud to present
Jessie Lawson
AKA
Flying Cat Arthouse



Jessie Lawson recently moved from Columbia, Missouri to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jessie had planned on living in Missouri to retire, but sometimes plans change. Her son lives in Minneapolis and Jessie loves Minneapolis. Basically, she considers herself a city girl, as she grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area (hey, that’s where my hubby works). Jessie says there is a lot of art activity in Minneapolis that she is just beginning to explore.



Jessie finally retired and recently turned 70 (should we all be so lucky). The retired thing really only applies to stuff other than making art. She says she plans to continue that for as long as she lives. Jessie earned a Ph.D. in English literature and was involved in higher education for years. She moved to Missouri where she continued teaching and opened two art galleries. Jessie, along with her partners, wanted to focus on local talent, so they pushed local art and crafts to the forefront.




Jessie started working in visual arts, first as a painter. She really did not expand to other venues until her mid-50s and is basically self-taught. She never went to art school, but really, isn’t everyone basically self-taught? We all follow our dream and go where our talent takes us. Jessie learned from the years she spent looking at art.




Jessie feels her art is very much based on her own imaginative vision of what you might call another reality. You will see the same characters (hybrid beings: cat people, bird people, etc.) appearing in paintings, in collages, in mixed media pieces, and as art dolls. Jessie says she guesses her imaginary beings are best described as "fantasy” and her favorite season to create? You name it, she is game for all of them!



The Flying Cat Arthouse specializes in cat people, and other hybrid beings, in fancy dress. You will find original, one of a kind art, ranging from collages, digital reproductions and other skills too numerous to mention.



Jessie recently became co-owner of an old, two-story duplex; with her son, his partner,and their dogs and cats who live downstairs and her three cats and she live upstairs. They are really living the dream. A big garden, lots of companionship, plenty of privacy, coupled with her living environment being supportive of all of her creative endeavors.



I asked about her newest project and was told she is generally working on several projects. For example, right now she is working on a number of dolls who are in the process. Their heads and hands are awaiting appropriate bodies.
But the project that's foremost in her mind is a medieval cat calendar. She is painting twelve 12" x 16" canvases. One for each month of the year, which she will then reproduce in a calendar format. Hopefully she will have this ready for release in time for the holidays.”



Jessie sells on Etsy, and in various small galleries. She hopes to expand her local sales as she settles into her new home. Look for her at the following locations. Plus, Jessie sells fabric on Spoonflower and below is an example of her fabric.



Her Etsy site:
Her Spoonflower site:



I asked if she teach classes, or donates her time and work to support other groups or people. Jessie told me she has taught courses in collage-making, developing your creative potential. This is in addition to University-level courses in her academic field.
Jessie also has donated alot of her work to various organizations for fund-raising. By and large, she has donated everything from postcards to paintings.



I asked Jessie about her inspiration that she uses in her work. She says Matisse and Picasso are the painters who have inspired her the most, but goes beyond these limits and says she has learned from and gained inspiration from so many artists that she can't really count them all. Jessie says medieval art has a big influence on her. She did as series of “Vermeercats“, based on the 17th century paintings of Johannes Vermeer. Jessie has done paintings that are influenced by German Expressionists of the late 19th-early 20th century and the list goes on and on.




I asked her what she would share with others seeking to be successful in an online business. Jessie told me to always do art because you love it and have a vision to follow. Follow your vision, not the popular trends of others. Believe in what you do and success will find you. Great advice!




Jessie doesn’t collect things for herself. She does acquire things that speak to her imagination. She says she has been in the local newspaper quite a lot over the past ten years (this would be in Columbia--the Columbia Daily Tribune). Why don’t I find that hard to believe. I think this is one very talented lady and artist that will be fun and inspiring to follow.



Visit Jessie’s Flying Cat Arthouse page on facebook, and "like" it (in the official Facebook way). There you'll be able to see more of her work. If you see anything of interest, send her a message.



Jessie says…
“Every piece of art I create, regardless of the medium in which I'm working, represents a special, slightly weird world, inhabited by hybrid human/animal creatures that are generally having a good time. That's the place that my imagination inhabits, and it's the source of all my inspiration.”




See you next time for another spotlight on an inspiring artist. If you like what you read, let me know.