Artist Biography
Jessica Wyss is a self-taught artist living and working on Canada's east coast, in Waverley, Nova Scotia. She was born to Swiss and German parents and raised in Alliston, Ontario. Demonstrating an interest in art at an early age, she developed her artistic ability in high school and by participating in various local art lessons.
After graduating high school, Jessica put her creative pursuits temporarily on hold and moved to Zurich, Switzerland where she began her German language studies. After a year spent travelling, studying and absorbing culture and life in Europe, she left Switzerland to work briefly in Connecticut, USA before moving back to Canada.
Jessica completed a general year at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and then relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia to pursue a combined honours degree in French and German linguistics at Dalhousie University. Discovering the vibrant arts community in Halifax reignited Jessica's passion for creating and inspired her to dedicate more time to her work. She began to create pastel, acrylic and mixed media pieces as a personal outlet, and has maintained an independent art practice since 2009. She began to offer her artwork to the public in 2011. (All pieces currently available for purchase can be found in the Gallery)
"Facing a blank canvas is one of the most intimidating experiences you can have. It confronts you with its emptiness, challenging you to permanently alter it, transform it, to make of it anything but that which it is now. It is an object both vacuous and infinitely full - it's very nothingness contains everything it could ever be. To me, a blank canvas is limitless potential, terrifying and inspiring at the same time.
Jessica Wyss
