About the Artist
Jess Bell (b.1983) finds water and the ocean a never ending source of inspiration and deeply enjoys painting coastal beach scenes. A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, Jess grew up a short mile from the beach. She grew up riding her bike ride to the beach and she also enjoyed running the boardwalk in the off seasons. Growing up in this environment, water naturally became her muse as an artist. She has spent her life studying it.
Taking her own reference photos from local beaches all hours of the day including sunrise, she captures the fleeting moments where the ocean displays interesting reflections. Jess lives in the River Plaza section of Middletown, just a short walk from the charming downtown of Red Bank. Surrounded by beautiful bodies of water, such as Shadow Lake, the Navesink, Swimming River, and of course the Atlantic Ocean, her environment serves as a constant source of inspiration for her work, which seeks to preserve and celebrate the beauty of nature.
Jess is a self-taught oil painter who has been a professional artist since 2019. She began teaching herself how to work with oils in 2004 while finishing her education degree. While she always dreamed of being a painter, she became an elementary school teacher for a little over a decade, which she loved passionately as well. She holds three teaching certifications (Elementary School, Special Education, and Middle School Mathematics) and a Master's Degree in Special Education. During her time as a teacher she kept an art studio in her home, painting when she could, and especially during her summers off. Jess stopped teaching in 2017 to stay home with her three young children. It was only then, as her children became school aged, that she had the space to return fully and wholeheartedly to her life long passion: art. She now paints daily in her home studio.
Her work has been displayed at acclaimed shows domestically and internationally. Jess has won numerous awards for her realistic depictions of the Jersey Shore. Her work has also been published in esteemed magazines such as the American Art Collector Magazine twice in the past year. Jess Bell's work has been juried into the annual Almenara Exhibit twice, an online exhibition that showcases established artists from around the world.
She is on the board of directors with The American Artists Professional League, based in NYC. She is also an Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America and most recently a member of The American Society of Marine Artists. She is currently represented at Main Street Gallery in Manasquan, NJ.
At the opening reception for Monmouth Museum’s 45th Annual Juried Art Exhibition with her painting, 'August Rolling Waves'.
Follow her on Instagram to see her current work and process.