Jody Rigsby

I am living in a dream. In April 2016, my husband and I sold our house and our possessions in Colorado. We bought a truck, a 36 foot trailer and hit the road. Wayne is a graphic designer and I paint. We have no idea how long this adventure will take but we are having an amazing time. Every day is a new day and it brings new people, new places and new things. This experience has been a constant reminder of how much our world is filled with kindness, beauty and bottomless inspiration.

I paint paintings of subjects and scenes that make me feel wondrous and joy, adding a small touch of whimsey. I will look at a subject and I think to myself, what is in that 'thing' that makes me want to bring it to the canvas? I identify the voice that is calling out, the felt message that will ultimately draw in the people that need to see it. I like to create a scene, indications of the surrounding area. My fascination lies within the relationship between subject, place, color, texture and life energy - the inbetween - the stuff we cannot see.

I find that my background in quilting and teaching art to children, gave me a interesting goal. Can I mix repeating pattern and harness the inhibition of young people into a more traditional way of painting?  My work has morphed and grown under those guidelines. My boards are first prepped with acrylic color, stamped with pattern, loosely drawn with pencil, and china marker. Then, using water mixable oils, I thoughtfully paint thick texture and thin layers, slowly applying paint with many different brushes and palette knives, leaving bits of the original board showing through. I feel these minute touches is what keeps the viewer engaged and my work fresh looking.