Holladay artist Rebecca Jessee's portraits embrace flat-color techniques to create texture and space. This innovative artistic approach transforms traditional figure subjects into contemporary illustrations, offering a fresh, captivating perspective on classic themes.

The Holladay Arts Council has selected Jessee as the Holladay Artist of the Month for February. This recognition honors her talent and skill as a figurative contemporary painter, conveying stories and emotions while often incorporating symbolism.

Jessee’s artistic medium is oil, which she uses to create beautiful and unique art. “Oil does exactly what I want it to do; in contrast, watercolor has a mind of its own. It is unforgiving,” she said.

Jessee identifies Orem as her hometown. While attending Timpanogos High School there, she was inspired by her visual arts teacher, Anna Davis. Known for her ability to motivate students, Davis quickly realized Jessee’s artistic talent and began to encourage and mentor her closely.

“In high school I had an amazing art teacher Anna Davis that was a major influence on me. She recognized my ability to paint and gave me a lot of attention,” Jessee said. “I enjoyed painting scenes inspired by literature. One of the paintings I created for my art portfolio was based on a scene from the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’—the part where Scout and her brother Jem build a snowman primarily out of mud because of the scarcity of snow in Alabama.”

After graduating from high school, Davis played a crucial role in helping Jessee secure a scholarship to study art at Brigham Young University, where Jessee is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration.

“Keep it local and keep it simple,” says Jessee when deciding where to show her paintings. Her art has been featured in the Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah exhibition at the Springville Museum of Art, the Holladay Fine Art Show and Plein Air Holladay Show. At her first showing at the Utah Art Market, she displayed a large number of paintings and sold out during the show. Her spiritual art has been offered on LDSart.com for the last several years. Also, Jessee had enjoyed a large clientele as a portrait painter, but that was about to change.

Three years ago, Jessee became a mother to Moses, and just a bit short of a year ago to Reid. Her little boys have become her central focus over the past few years. Jessee’s time for art has been limited to completing her degree at BYU and painting during her sons' nap times. Recently, her husband has adjusted his work schedule to help support Jessee’s desire to immerse herself again in the world of art. 

Now with more time to focus on painting, Jessee has returned to following several local, well-known artists and tries to incorporate their techniques into her artwork. From the bold, expressive paintings of Rose Datoc Dall, known for her body of religious works as well as her figurative work, Jessee has learned to incorporate design into her art by using unconventional color and flat techniques.

Dall’s form of artistic style, became prominent in the 20th century and continues to influence modern illustrators and fine artists. It offers a vibrant visual language that boldly prioritizes color, form and surface over the mere illusion of depth. Figurative subjects are rendered with flat techniques for a modern feel, encouraging a fresh perspective in artistic expression.

“For many years I’ve painted still-life food, spiritual themes and portraits,” Jessee said.  “Studying the art of Rose Datoc Dall and her use of bold flat colors has been a significant influence on my art.”

And how does Jessee define success as an artist?

“For me success as an artist used to be getting into shows and receiving recognition for my art,” Jessee said. “But now, I see success as helping others to create beautiful spaces. Art is like good food—it makes life enjoyable. That’s one thing I love about living in Holladay, the residents of Holladay seem to appreciate what makes life beautiful. The homes in Holladay are a perfect example of that.”

To learn more about Rebecca Jessee’s art or for inquiries about commissions, visit: www.beccajessee.com.

Jessee’s figurative contemporary art will be on display at Holladay City Hall, 4580 S. 2300 East, through February.