Meet Sally Jacobs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sally Jacobs.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a dedicated botanical artist who spends countless happy hours in a home studio, but I certainly didn’t start my journey this way. Before my life as a painter, I had satisfying work, but it’s only with this last calling that I have experienced what it means to have a passion for what I do.

I always liked science, studied it at Cornell and Harvard, worked in biochemistry labs doing research and taught high school biology. In the 1980s, with two partners, I started a software company that we built and sold. About 20 years ago, in early retirement and floundering a bit, a friend practically dragged me to an art class while I was protesting: “Me do art? Are you nuts?!” But I did, and art transformed my life.

Bringing together my science background, love of nature, and a newly discovered talent, I became a botanical artist. Botanical art, a centuries-old discipline, is where art meets science. Producing an image requires studying a subject in detail, often under a magnifying glass or even a microscope.

When I paint an onion or a dahlia or a head of lettuce, I want to reveal the beauty of the whole and the intricate patterns and details that can give viewers a new appreciation for what they may see (or overlook) at the market.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t know if a smooth road leads to a really happy and fulfilling life, but I’d say mine has been relatively level. But one big pothole on my road led me to my art, so I’m almost grateful for it.

After my partners and I sold our software business, I developed a bad case of tinnitus – a ringing in the ears that is persistent, largely untreatable, and, for me, nerve-wracking. Botanical art saved me. Quoting Shakespeare, “Sweet are the uses of adversity.”

When I sit before nature, I almost enter a meditative state. I have to draw and paint slowly. Distractions fade. Botanical art is the tai chi of art, and it has soothed the bumps along my way.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Almost every Sunday morning you’ll find me at the Hollywood Farmers Market, searching for food for the week and subjects for my art. Fennel, celery roots, red oak lettuce, anemones, turban squash – the choices are delicious and beautiful – for the table and the studio.

At home with my picks, I always work with the actual flower, vegetable or plant in front of me, which means that at the beginning of a piece I work in a very focused way to get the drawing done before the peony wilts or the cantaloupe is past its prime. Once I have a good drawing, I can use different samples of the same species to match for color and texture. Good photographs help too and take the pressure off.

Drawings and paintings take a long time to complete because the graphite or color is built up slowly, layer upon layer, in a gradual and controlled way. Pencil and pen drawing can take 40-50 hours; watercolor paintings consume 80-100 hours. But every minute of creating is a pleasure.

A teacher/artist whose art I love told me that each piece should engage viewers from across the room and beckon them to come closer. Up close, there should be added nuance and even surprises. That’s what I aim for and proudly sometimes achieve.

I’ve taught botanical art at Otis College of Art and Design, the Los Angeles Arboretum, and The Getty Center. My work has been exhibited in juried shows throughout the country, and I regularly show at an artists’ cooperative, The Artists Gallery (TAG) in mid-Wilshire where I am a member. I sell prints, calendars and greeting cards on Etsy and the Sunday morning Hollywood Farmers Market displays and sells my products.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Earlier in my life, I relied on external markers of success: growth of the business, financial rewards, evaluation of others. In my career as an artist, these markers still matter but my focus has shifted internally: I want to continue learning and getting better and better, experiment with different approaches, see my art evolve. The opinion of others still matters, but I’ve come to trust my own reaction to what I create, which is most often then validated by others’ reactions and sales.

Contact Info:

• Website: sallyjacobs.com, etsy.com/shop/SallyJacobsStudio
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sally.jacobs.311

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