Meet Jessica Speckhard, a McLean, Virginia-based multidisciplinary artist who created this month’s cover, inspired by her pet cat and love of summer. Jessica crafts vibrant worlds through watercolor, ceramics, and stained glass. Inspired by her deep love for animals, nature, and travel, Jessica balances her creative practice with family life alongside her husband, Taylor, and their two children, Katarina, age 17 and Daniel Taylor, age 1. City Lifestyle steps into her studio to discover her journey.
Your cover art captures August's bliss. The nonchalant cat embodies the season's relaxed energy. Tell us about your muse.
The cover was inspired by my relationship with my cat, who is named Mouse, and the time I spend poolside with my kids in the summer. Cats can teach us so much about self worth and living in the moment. My cat always seems perfectly at peace with herself whether she’s napping, playing, or on the hunt.
They say animals look into our souls. How does your cat heal yours and why are animals so important in our lives?
Mouse is an adorable Burmese cat that came from a friend at Open Door Farms in Great Falls, Virginia. Animals can be very comforting and can help us regulate our emotions and physically calm ourselves after a long day or a difficult conversation. When my cat sits on my lap, I find that my breathing naturally slows down and I am more relaxed and present.
Interacting with animals also helps me remember the joy in the world. Much of healing and mental health work with animals has been studied and is deeply rooted in scientific practices. Animals can open us up to new ways of communicating and being present.
Take us to the canvas and your technique.
My technique involves using a mix of watercolor and pen. I usually sketch each piece in pencil, and then use pen to create the lines, watercolor to add color, and then back to the pen for finishing touches. I try to get into a meditative state before I draw or paint and I never know what I will create. I want the images to touch people on a spiritual level, and I know that without inviting the hand of something bigger to be involved in my work that that would be impossible.
You have returned to McLean to raise your family. What is your favorite summer tradition?
I love going to the community pool almost every day with my kids. There’s nothing like playing in the water and being around other mothers and babies. I also love to hike in the area even when it gets hot. I feel totally rejuvenated after spending time hiking Scotts Run.
How did traveling the world as a child, including Minsk, Belarus, shape your perspective on art?
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. I’m fortunate to have parents that nurtured my passion by providing plenty of art supplies, engaging in crafts with me, and taking me to museums.
I went to a school for the arts as a child when I was living in Minsk for a few years where I learned silk painting and ceramics. My teachers there taught me so much that I still use today. I have a tremendous amount of admiration for the way that Belarusians invoke a deep appreciation for the arts at an early age. It's common for young children to attend full length ballets. I felt that my teachers expected to see my techniques improve through dedication and practice and that gave me confidence to believe in myself.
Tell us about your mentors.
One of my mentors is my friend Margaret Bakke, who owns a gallery space called Friends Artspace, in Arlington, Virginia and has helped me develop my work for years. My other mentor is Pinar Turhan who runs a ceramics coworking space in Vienna, Virginia for artists called Clay and Kiln Club. My friend and colleague Dr. Ioana Marcus of Equibliss is an incredible equine assisted psychotherapist who has mentored me on how to work with horses to heal myself and others. I work with her as a counselor in tandem with my art practice.
How has your hometown influenced your creative journey?
McLean has been a great place to grow as an artist. I find the nature around this area absolutely gorgeous and a constant inspiration. I also think that there are wonderful communities of artists in northern Virginia that I am grateful to get to interact with and am inspired by them to grow in new ways constantly.