jessica elliott
Jessica Elliott is an abstract artist based in Oxfordshire, England. Working with a variety of materials such as oil and cold wax, plaster, acrylic and sand, she creates richly coloured and textured paintings that explore the depths of the subconscious and the complexities of the human mind. Largely self-taught, Elliott began her full-time artistic practice in 2023, developing a distinctive visual language rooted in intuition, emotion, and material exploration.
the artistic process
Jessica Elliott’s paintings are built through a process of layering, scraping back and revealing a physical dialogue that mirrors the layered nature of memory and thought. Through this approach, Elliott seeks to uncover “what lies beneath”, using the materiality of paint itself as a metaphor for the shifting states of consciousness continuing ‘An Unfinished Conversation’ between her paintings and their audiences.
My work is an exploration of the internal landscape, a visual reflection of memory, emotion, and the subconscious mind. I approach each painting without a fixed outcome, allowing intuition to lead the process. This sense of freedom is essential; it enables me to access the subconscious and to respond instinctively to what unfolds on the surface.- Jessica elliott
‘an unfinished conversation’
Her Story
“'An Unfinished Conversation' emerged from a period of profound grief following a personal loss, when my sense of self and identity felt uncertain. I turned to art as a way of giving form to thoughts and experiences I struggled to put into words. The work became a means of processing and exploring something that felt difficult to fully comprehend.
The exhibition explores the shifting nature of memory and the fluctuations in mental clarity that can follow trauma. Central to the work is a tension between containment and release, the desire to hold things together while also finding ways to let go, both physically and metaphorically.
This tension became part of my making process. At times, I sought clarity through structure and restraint; at others, I felt compelled to work quickly and instinctively, allowing gestures to unfold with greater freedom. I embraced experimentation, play and the possibility of making mistakes, allowing intuition to guide the work without a predetermined outcome.
Moving between control and spontaneity, instinct and reflection, the works trace an ongoing process of understanding and rediscovery. Rather than seeking resolution, 'An Unfinished conversation’ leaves space for uncertainty, change and the things that remain unresolved.
The conversation remains unfinished, not because there is nothing more to say, but because some experiences continue to unfold long after the words have failed us.”-jessica elliott
Jessica Elliott, how does music lead or influence your artistry?
-OREOFE ART GALLERY
“Ahhh this is a tough question because music is everything! My Dad owned a company called Databeat so growing up I’ve been lucky enough to be immersed in some seriously good music! I fleet between the old to Ibiza classics. Of most recent I’ve been enjoying, Joan Armatrading, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills Nash & Young but I can then flip reverse it to more eclectic, Hôtel Costes type sounds, like Mr Scruff!
When I created the painting ‘Order’, there was a sense of feeling very overwhelmed with an extremely anxious and busy head. I had ruminative thoughts and I think I like the simplicity and structure this painting exudes. In wanting to zone out from the unwelcomed noises, the hazy, noir-edged sounds of ‘Cigarettes After Sex’ by Apocalypse along with Phoebe Killdeer’s ‘Fade Out Lines’ transported me to a sense of calm, joy and the crippling away of chaos transformed the ‘Order’ on my canvas.” - Jessica Elliott
‘I rarely plan ahead or have a clear idea of where a painting will go. Instead, I draw on my surroundings, memories and little moments…’- Jessica elliott
Jessica Elliott Order 2024 Oil & cold wax on panel 86 × 63 cm
Jessica Elliott Order 2024 Oil & cold wax on panel 86 × 63 cm
Jessica Elliott Order 2024 Oil & cold wax on panel 86 × 63 cm
Who are your biggest artistic influences, and whose work do you relate to most?
Delving a little deeper into the world of our artist, Jessica Elliott, we wanted to understand what and who inspires her practice.
‘Although I admire and often find myself returning to the work of certain artists, I wouldn’t say my work is heavily influenced by any one artist or style.
It’s colour that really draws me in, and the way colours blend, sit alongside one another and interact. I’m particularly drawn to Helen Frankenthaler’s beautiful, spontaneous washes of colour and the way she allows the paint to find its own way.’
— Jessica Elliott
“My palette often returns to reds and pinks, blues, yellow ochres and dusty greens, shifting with my mood and sometimes with the changing seasons, although never in any predictable way. I suppose I’m consistently inconsistent, which probably says a lot about my intuitive way of working.”
Jessica Elliott Considered landscape 2025 Oil on board 60 × 60 cm
Jessica Elliott Playground 2024 Oil & Cold wax on board 60 × 60 cm
Jessica Elliott Mind- now Loading 2025 Oil & Cold wax on board 50 × 40 cm
the process…
‘I rarely plan ahead or have a clear idea of where a painting will go. Instead, I draw on my surroundings, memories and little moments that stay with me, things I’ve seen, felt or experienced. I find so much beauty in the everyday: the cracks and worn surfaces of old walls, the shapes rain leaves on tarmac, sunlight filtering through trees, dappled shadows on walls or colourful painted houses that seem to radiate happiness.
Vessels often find their way into my paintings, sometimes without me really knowing why. I’ve come to wonder whether they represent a sense of containment, of being held or feeling safe, a kind of quiet reassurance.
I also return to certain shapes, particularly D forms, semicircles and scooped curves, which seem to offer a feeling of wholeness or completion. I don’t always need to understand why these things appear; sometimes it’s enough to follow that instinct and see where it takes me.’
— Jessica Elliott
‘I love the history that builds within a painting, the layers, the marks and the unexpected turns along the way. Scraping back to reveal what lies beneath is an important part of this, allowing glimpses of the painting’s journey to remain visible.
I am particularly drawn to Richard Diebenkorn’s gestural approach, especially within his Albuquerque paintings, with the expansive fields of colour and expressive, dark lines that carve up the space, bringing a lovely balance between openness and structure.’
— Jessica Elliott
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'Holding The Light' 51cm x 61cm oil on board
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'The Space After' 51cm x 61cm oil on board
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'Mind Now Loading' 40cm x 50cm Oil & Cold wax on board
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'Order' 60cm x 80cm
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'Between Form & Feeling' 61cm x 76cm oil on board
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'Playground' 64cm x 64cm Oil & cold wax on panel
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'Structured Landscape' oil on board 60cm x 60 cm
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'The Dance' 61cm x 76cm oil on canvas
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'A Work In Progress' oil on board 61cm x 76cm
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'Colour on The Horizon' 45cm x 61cm
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'Where The Light Begins' 45cm x 61cm
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'Fragmented Thought' 91cm x 122cm
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'The Shape Of What Remains' 1m x 1m Oil on canvas
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'Shifting Horizons' 91cm x 122cm oil on board
