Jessica Legako
Artist Biography
Jessica Legako is a painter who primarily works in oils and wood stain for application; her work often involves high texture and thick paint. Her current work involves a focus on water and its movement. She has earned her BFA in Studio Art from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. Born and raised in Lubbock Texas, to a farmer and teacher, she was enriched with an outdoor lifestyle. This allowed undisrupted observation, which fed her imagery. She currently lives and maintains her studio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Artist Statement
My paintings focus on fluidity and wood grain to express the act of frenetic movement. Forms in nature that are often overlooked inspire my work. The work focuses on wood grain and its ever-changing unexpected qualities. I choose colors that are personally nostalgic from my travels to oceans, lakes, and everyday ponds of the world. The water symbolizes aspects of my own personality, forever moving, changing and evolving. I follow the wood grain and give it depth as to create a form of movement. The wood surface and its varying grains influence the imagery and process. I follow the grain and use a combination of oils and wood stain so as to keep the natural look and not cover it. My process is just as animated as the finished product. I exert an immense amount of physical energy and motion in my actions contributing to the resultant image. This process and focus on malleability reflect my philosophy that life never stops moving and the more influx you are in, the less likely you are to break.
@redj7
Jessica is part of FRINGE Women Artists of Oklahoma and was in our exhibition, Fringe at The Art Hall, January - April, 2018.
