Jess is an artist of Plains Indian cultural materials. He grew up in Montana, where his fascination with Native American history and art began early. As a child, he immersed himself in living history events and hands-on studies of Indigenous material culture, eventually focusing on the painted hides of the Plains tribes.His work draws on traditional techniques: gathering earth pigments, hand-scraping hides, and using natural materials and glues. He paints in the old way, honoring the practices and aesthetics once used to decorate bison robes, garments, and rawhide objects.Jess is the author of "The Book on Painting Hides, A Plains Indian Tradition," and serves as a guest interpreter for the National Park Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.