Jessie Rasche is a professional South Dakota artist who you can find painting out on dusty farm roads, or painting in her studio accompanied by two sweet dogs.Growing up in Seattle as the only child of an artist, Jessie got a lot of encouragement for her creative endeavors. Jessie’s studies include fine art at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, psychology at the University of Oregon, general sciences at the University of Washington, and taking a lot of fine art workshops. Her employment history includes bakery work, screen printing, social work, medical illustration, and media creating for the education group at Microsoft. In 2007, with family encouragement, Jessie followed her dreams of becoming a professional artist, and began selling her small paintings online and through galleries. In 2013 Jessie moved to South Dakota with her husband, son, and two cats. Living in a small town with a rural landscape surrounded by cow pastures and flocking birds inspired her to include her love of animals in her work, and begin a series of paintings about groups of animals in the landscape. She also teaches painting workshops for artists, both online and in person, sharing her knowledge of color and paint, and helping artists to develop and embrace their own personal styles. Rasche’s artwork hangs in private collections across the United States, Canada, and overseas – and in public spaces including hospital buildings, art center permanent collections, and government buildings. Jessie is an award-winning Signature member of the American Impressionist Society, and an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America, the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, and the American Artists’ Professional League. She is also a Southwest Art Magazine “Artist to Watch”. Her paintings have been published in Plein Air Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Southwest Art Magazine, South Dakota Magazine, and more. "I paint the landscapes and animals of the Midwest in a painterly, impressionist style that celebrates the materials and process of painting as well as the subject matter. My work focuses on the colors of the local landscape, and the affection animals have for each other. Right outside town, there are landscapes full of animal life. Every time I see these animals, it makes me happy. I try to capture that joy in my art, so that my paintings will bring others happiness as well." - Jessie Rasche