I’ve been wanting to create a limited edition, artist painted Smoke Perfume vessel for a long time. Jessica Bizer was always top of my list! I have been a huge fan of her bright, playful, and effortless work for years now. Not only am I inspired by her work, but I just think she’s the coolest, and always seems to be in her creative flow! Read more about Jessica Bizer’s process below!
As I mentioned, I absolutely love your style! Especially your airbrushed work. Can you talk a bit about your creative process and how your work has evolved to what it is today?
My process starts with my engagement with a particular item or material. It's an organic part of my day to notice what catches my eye (whether it's a dollar store item, or a painting at a gallery), then think about why that particular element is so exciting. I'm interested in an item's physical properties, and also its cultural and/or emotional associations. I also think about others' perception of that element, too. I can really get sucked-into this process! When an item is charged in just the right way, it becomes a source for my artwork. Sometimes this development is very literal, and leads me to collage a specific material into my work. Other times, a particular material serves solely an inspirational role.
I love how airbrush painting functions on a variety of levels. Initially, it has associations with tacky retail. However, the medium also has such a dreamy and elegant presence. It seems to “get along” so well with more traditional kinds of mark-making, but simultaneously feels out-of-place in fine art. This tension has become a major narrative in my work.
You’re a founding member of The Good Children Gallery, how has that professional venture influenced you creatively?
I get so much creative energy from being a part of The Good Children Gallery. The communal aspects of working with my gallery-mates provide me with a valuable balance to the more solitary nature of studio work.
How do you stay inspired? What are some obstacles to your creative process, and how do you get around them? What do you do when you hit a creative roadblock, how do you weather those inevitable times of stagnation in your creative process?
I stay inspired by making room for the unintentional. One of my biggest obstacles is over-thinking my process. I’m always helped through this when I relax and allow an “accident” to take place in an artwork. This could mean that I scribble an unexpected mark onto the canvas or randomly paste a scrap of fabric on a piece. Such an approach isn’t always initially successful, but it will at least become a stepping stone into a new direction.
You’re a busy entrepreneur, artist, and mom, how do you carve out time for yourself--to maintain your beauty, wellness, and sanity? Do you have any non negotiables when it comes to your self-care?
I do yoga as often as possible.
What’s an early scent or perfume memory?
Citrus! Especially fresh orange juice. I’m from Florida, and my family would often visit Orange Blossom Groves, a small local grove with a shop attached. The scent of fresh juice at that place was so tropical and uplifting.