History Repeating, collage, acrylic, drawing on birch panel, 48"x 36"
-Jackie, we'd love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today, both personally and as an artist.
Everything I create is rooted in intuition. In the early stages of a painting, I trust my gut and make decisions one step at a time, without trying to control the outcome. This process requires me to step back regularly to evaluate: What comes next? This is where intuition plays a crucial role. I have to trust myself and take a leap of faith, knowing that the next move will guide the work in the right direction.
Over time, I’ve learned that every decision is the right one, even when it leads to challenges or unexpected detours. These moments of struggle are integral to my process. They remind me why I’m a painter: the journey of transforming uncertainty into something meaningful is where the magic happens. I’ve come to embrace the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful, knowing that they all have a role to play—not just on the canvas, but in life.
Setting, oil on canvas, 36"x 48"
-What role does intuition play when abstract and figurative elements start to interact on the canvas?
Intuition is at the heart of my creative process. When abstract and figurative elements begin to overlap, it’s often a matter of trusting my instincts and letting them guide the conversation between those elements. The interaction between abstraction and figuration is where tension, balance, and storytelling emerge in my work. This dynamic requires me to be open and responsive to what’s unfolding, rather than forcing an outcome.
Each mark or adjustment becomes a dialogue—a push and pull that leads to unexpected connections. This is where I find the most joy as an artist: embracing uncertainty and allowing intuition to shape the narrative on the canvas.
Access Denied, acrylic on blackout fabric, 54"x 86"
-You mention editing as a significant part of your process- cutting, ripping, sanding, and more. Can you describe how that hands-on process changes the direction of a painting?
When I reach a block or feel a painting has become too predictable, I often disrupt it through radical moves—pouring a thin layer of paint over the canvas, sanding down an image, or collaging bold shapes onto the surface. These interventions are intentional acts of risk-taking. They force me to let go of control and invite surprise.
I aim to avoid being too precious with my work because the most exciting discoveries happen when I’m willing to risk “ruining” a piece. Even when these actions don’t immediately work, they teach me something new and push me to navigate obstacles. Ultimately, this hands-on, editing process allows the painting to evolve into something fresh and layered with meaning.
Northern Facade, acrylic, ink, collage mylar on panel, 12"x 12"
-Your work has such a rich, layered feel. How does working through those layers shape your experience with each piece?
Working in layers is an exercise in mindfulness and non-attachment. The more time I spend on a piece, the more I naturally become attached to it, so I have to remain intentional about not getting too precious. Some pieces come together quickly, while others take years to resolve.
Since I work intuitively and don’t begin with a fixed plan, each painting is an open-ended journey. This unpredictability is what excites me most. It’s like going on a road trip without a destination or map—you never know where you’ll end up, but the journey itself is full of discovery.
Entre-Nous, mixed media collage, 20"x 30"
-What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
To check out my work:
Follow me on Instagram: @jackiereevesart
Visit my website: jackiereeves.com
Arrange a studio visit in Barnstable Village, Cape Cod, MA, by contacting me through my website.
To provide support:
-Purchase my work through my website or at gallery and museum exhibits.
-Help me expand my audience by offering exhibition opportunities in galleries or museums.
-Commission me for interior or exterior murals or to lead community mural projects.
-Hire me to teach workshops in drawing, figure drawing, painting, and mixed media collage. I’m happy to travel to beautiful destinations for intensive workshop opportunities!
-Offer artist residency opportunities, which allow me to connect with other creatives, exchange ideas, and find fresh inspiration.
Statement
I start my paintings without a solid plan. It’s like taking a road trip with no map or destination in mind, only knowing that I want to go somewhere I haven’t been before. I use materials and processes that show evidence of chance and spontaneity. Whether it’s spills and drips of paint on canvas, pooling watercolor on mylar or ink bleeding into rice paper, the unpredictable outcome becomes the playground where I bring abstract and figurative elements together. I often get lost in the layers of built-up marks and have to find my way through an editing process which involves cutting, ripping, erasing, sanding, rearranging.... Eventually I start to recognize something; a memory of people and places, or dreams from the past or of the future. I never reach a destination however, for as soon as I think I have arrived somewhere a whole new set of painting issues and curiosities arise and I’m off on another journey. Along the way paintings are left behind as evidence of my search for meaning.
Imprinting, acrylic, charcoal pencils on fabric, 54"x 82"
Bio
Self-portrait with oven mitt and loaded brush, mixed media on blinds and mylar, 72"x 70"
Canadian-American artist Jackie Reeves uses mixed media to bring together figurative and abstract elements in her art. She was raised in Montreal by architect parents and studied design art at Concordia University. Her artistic career began as a professional mural painter for corporate, private and public spaces. Concurrently, Reeves co-founded the Plymouth Community Art Center. In 2010 she earned her MFA in painting at Massachusetts College of Art and Design at the Fine Art Work Center in Provincetown. She has since exhibited in solo and group shows in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington DC and North Carolina. She has been profiled in numerous publications including WHITEHOT Magazine, the Boston Globe, Art New England and Artscope Magazine.
Reeves is an active member of the Cape Cod community offering mentorship through her art classes and workshops. Jackie works out of Chalkboard Studio in the Old Schoolhouse of Barnstable Village.