Jessica Smit Mattingly is a Chicago-based realist oil painter. Jessica earned a B.A. in Fine Art from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. After graduating from Northwestern, she spent several years teaching English as a Second Language in Japan. Upon returning to the United States, Jessica pursued her passion for drawing and painting at the School of Representational Art in Chicago where she completed the 4-year program in figurative drawing and oil painting.

Jessica is inspired by the figurative paintings of the Baroque artists, and the mystery and poetic beauty of the Symbolist and Pre-Raphaelite artists of the late nineteenth century. Jessica’s work includes figurative works, portraits, and still life. Jessica taught portrait, figure, and still life drawing and painting as one of the faculty members at the School of Representational Art in Chicago.  Currently, Jessica works on commissions and exhibits her figurative paintings in museums and galleries. Jessica also offers individual instruction and group classes at her studio in the Chicago area.

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.