"If you observe nature closely, there's a dance in every tree, a song by every bird, and a story behind each ocean wave - countless gestures and poses in nature's landscape; ever-changing yet timeless - inspiring me to capture and preserve these moments through painting.”BIOInspired by the natural beauty of her hometown of Martha's Vineyard, Jessica Pisano’s interest in art started at a young age. She pursued her passion for the arts at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1999 with a BFA in painting and photography. Pisano participated in a year abroad program to study fine art at the Lorenzo de Medici School in Florence, Italy. In 2002, she earned an MA in Arts Administration from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.Pisano is an award-winning artist who has had numerous solo and group shows. Her work is widely collected in both private and public collections all over the world. She lives on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, MA. ARTIST STATEMENTAs an artist, I have always been inspired by nature — it is my muse. Birds, trees and the sea are the heroes of my stories. I am both interested and intrigued by the comparison and contrast of these subjects, as well as their individual symbolism. Whereas birds embody a sense of freedom and transcendence — the link between heaven and earth — trees epitomize strength, wisdom, stability and growth — the nobel character with roots firmly planted in the earth while its branches sway up into the sky, reaching out in polar opposite directions. The sea, on the other hand, while also representing elements of freedom and strength, is full of contradictions in and of itself. As the source of life, it symbolizes immortality; but as the source of powerful currents, storms and deluges, it also is an aspect of mortality. The ocean therefore has a mysterious and majestic element and can represents both rebirth and the awakening of the mind, or tumultuous events and occurrences. All together, these varying elements of each create balance: the yin to the yang. This balance found in nature is what I am interested in exploring and portraying in my work — my storytelling is not meant to convey a specific meaning or message, but rather to evoke an emotion from the viewer. How the viewer interprets that emotion is left to his or her own response. The viewer too becomes a participant in the story.PROCESSMy work is both abstract and representational. I use the traditional indirect painting techniques of the Old Masters by applying oil paint in many translucent layers giving the painting a detailed and highly rendered appearance. As a contrast, I also use contemporary techniques in which paint is loosely applied in an experimental and intuitive manner. The combination of these techniques from both the past and the present is interesting to me as it creates a unique juxtaposition of styles.