Mixed Media Paintings by Jessica Winfield

“The Last 4 Years” marks the beginning of my painting journey – a creative spark that ignited in 2022, inspired by a single memory from 12th grade. Back in the year 2000, an art teacher handed me a seashell and asked me to paint it. I wasn’t a painter, but I created a sunset‑colored shell that felt like pure magic. I carried that feeling quietly for years without ever painting again … until 2022, when life nudged me back toward creativity.

After stepping away from theatre and spending years in the IT world, I found myself completely burnt out and disconnected from the creative energy that had always fueled me. I needed something to wake up that part of myself again – something joyful, colorful and freeing. Painting became that spark. What started as a simple attempt to reconnect with a long‑buried memory quickly grew into a vibrant new artistic path.

As a professional lighting designer, I’ve always described my work as “painting for the stage,” so it felt natural to bring that love of vivid color, contrast and atmosphere into my canvases. I’ve always been drawn to bright, electric hues – even though my favorite color is black – and this collection leans joyfully into that contradiction. In a beautiful full‑circle moment, painting didn’t just open a new door – it brought me back home to the theatre. Creating these pieces rekindled my passion for design, and I’m now joyfully lighting stages again. It feels especially meaningful to share this collection in the very place where I work, create and tell stories through light every day: the theatre.

These pieces explore landscapes, figures, mermaids, birds, flowers and Afro‑Caribbean influences, all filtered through my love of fantasy, brightness and emotional color. I use fluorescents, pearlescents and color‑shifting paints and more recently I’ve been embellishing the work with gems, crystals and unique textures as I explore mixed‑media techniques. Everything is designed to shimmer, surprise and feel alive.

This collection is about joy – about the way bright color can lift a spirit, spark a smile or shift a day. “The Last 4 Years” is my invitation for viewers to feel the same brightness that painting brought into my life. I hope these works bring as much happiness to others as they brought to me while creating them.