Life & Work with Jessica Engels of Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Engels.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! I grew up in the small town of Tullahoma, TN. I’ve pretty much always had that “art kid” vibe in me, so after high school, it just made sense to keep following that path, so I went to Middle Tennessee State University and majored in Digital Animation with a minor in Art. My first job was in Nashville, where I learned the ins and outs of animation and post-production. That experience eventually inspired me to move to California at 24 and pursue a freelance career in Motion Graphics.

For the past 15 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of creative projects alongside some truly inspiring artists. Throughout it all, drawing and painting remained a constant passion—something I always returned to during downtime. I took a bit of a hiatus from traditional art, but when the pandemic hit, my creative energy came rushing back.

Thanks to years of animation work—which requires a great deal of patience and attention to detail—I returned to drawing and painting with a whole new mindset. I no longer rush through the process. Instead, I really enjoy slowing down, focusing on detail, and bringing my compositions to life with greater intention.

Lately, I’ve become especially drawn to ink stippling. While some might see it as torturous, I find something deeply meditative in creating thousands of tiny dots to form a detailed image. I had never seriously considered monetizing my art until recently, when I thought—why not? So I started sharing my work on social media, launched an Etsy shop, and built a personal website to sell my originals and prints and to gain more exposure.

Today, I split my time between Nashville and Los Angeles—two cities filled with creativity and inspiration. My main artistic love is surrealism, and my favorite mediums right now are ink and charcoal (though I still love getting messy with acrylic paint!).

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges was partially moving back to Tennessee to help take care of my dad. It was a difficult time for me and my family, not knowing what the future held, and adjusting to living between two places added a layer of instability. But in a strange way, those hard times are when art becomes the most grounding for me. It’s where I process, escape, and reconnect with myself. That period reminded me how vital creativity is—not just as a career, but as a lifeline.

My father is doing okay now, thankfully, and what started as a temporary shift has become a new rhythm. I’ve embraced the bi-coastal life, splitting my time between Tennessee and LA, and it’s now just part of my lifestyle.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My traditional art career is still very much a work in progress, and I’m in the process of building my business with new pieces, experimenting with ideas, and finding my visual voice. Slowly but surely, I have confidence I’ll get there—and honestly, I’m enjoying the journey. I don’t limit myself to one specific medium because I love exploring and letting the concept dictate the approach. That said, it feels like my stippling work has really resonated with people. It’s also one of my favorite techniques to work with, so maybe one day it’ll become my signature style.

What I’m most proud of so far is that I’ve kept going, even through personal challenges and creative ruts. I think what sets me apart is the mix of precision I bring from my Motion Graphics background and the emotional depth I try to infuse into my hand-drawn pieces. There’s a meditative quality to my process, especially with stippling and charcoal, that I hope comes through in the final work.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’m still fairly new to the world of networking and selling my art, but I’ve had some luck experimenting with social media and Etsy ads—they’ve been a fun (and sometimes frustrating) learning curve! I’ve also reached out to a few friends in the art world for advice, which has been really helpful. I’m starting to look into entering local art shows and events to get my work in front of more people. For me, it’s all about taking small steps, being open to learning, and not being afraid to ask questions—even if I don’t have it all figured out yet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessicaengels.artstorefronts.com/, https://www.jengels.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojengels?igsh=d2E1OTF4Z2FmeXY=
• Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoJengelsArtworks