Artist bio
Jessica Hamilton-Jones is a visual artist and dedicated art educator based in Maine. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1968, she nurtured her passion for the arts from an early age. In 1989, Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, which laid the foundation for her creative career.
For many years, Jessica lived on Long Island, where she raised her four children, including twins and an autistic son. This period of her life was marked by both challenges and joys, including family trauma and financial hardship. Despite these obstacles, she drew strength from her experiences and aimed to inspire others facing similar struggles.
In 2007, Jessica relocated to Maine, where she explored her creativity as a florist, eventually establishing her own small business, Artistry in Flowers. Her artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2016 when she moved to Winslow with her children and new husband. While balancing a full-time role as a museum educator at the L.C. Bates Museum, she returned to college, recognizing her passion for intertwining art education with natural sciences and history. In 2018, she earned a second bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Maine at Augusta.
Currently, Jessica serves as a teacher at Waterville Alternative Senior High School, where she actively encourages her students to overcome their adversities through the medium of art. Her unwavering commitment to education and creativity is evident in her work, empowering students to find their artistic voices.
In addition to her teaching, Jessica completed a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Maine Studies at the University of Maine, culminating in a final project that showcases her artistic talent and dedication to education.
Artist Statement
Everything is haunted, and I view my art as a collection of fragments and layers that depict simple moments in search of the unseen. Like reflections on antique window panes, the imagery moves back and forth across multiple scales, presenting a disjuncted perspective that invites viewers to create their own narratives. are inextricably entangled.
As a mixed-media artist, I use my photography as a library that documents my aesthetic connection to a place. In the studio, I recreate one or more images through drawing, painting, encaustic work, printmaking, and/or collage, allowing me to revisit and relive moments, weaving in symbols and metaphors. My process is more like composing a symphony, building simple visuals into complex, multi-movement pieces. To uncover the history or haunting of a place, I use both personal and borrowed memories, evoking timeless themes in which romance, isolation, decay, and rebirth
Jessica Hamilton-Jones 