Meet Jamie Scheppers | Artist and Owner of JL Scheppers Art

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Scheppers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I first started my business on a whim. I had made some necklaces from expired calendar art to give as Christmas gifts. One of the women I gave them to said, “This would be even cooler if it was your own art.” At first I was taken aback, but then I realized she was absolutely right! Timing wise, I had just suffered a pretty major setback in my career and so I was looking for something I could call my own and pour my energy into. As my mom and sister unwrapped their necklaces, I announced to my family that I had decided to start a business so that I could formally sell my encaustic art, and (suprise!) jewelry too. Ten days later, on my 40th birthday, I formed an LLC on my cellphone while I was still in my PJs. That was three years ago, and my business gets stronger every day!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
No matter what I’m creating, it’s important to me that my work is colorful, abstract and imperfect. I want to emphasize that these works are created by hand, and that, like each of us, they don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

One of the things that sets my work apart, aside from the materials I’ve chosen to use, is that I intuitively paint my emotions. When I look at each piece, I can remember the emotions I felt while creating it, but then over time I start to see different things in my work.

The very first watercolor jewelry pieces were made from tiny doodles I would do to center myself after a stressful day at work. When I painted them, they were just tiny throwaway pieces because my focus was on the process and not the end result, but I found that they came alive when I placed small sections behind the glass cabochons that I use in my jewelry. It was these first jewelry pieces that helped me to lean into the idea of imperfection being beautiful.

My Ether series paintings are a serene and calm abstraction of a rainbow-colored ocean. The colors melt into each other (literally), and are lightly shrouded by the delicate lacing of white shellac that’s been kissed by a torch. When I look at these paintings, I’m reminded that something doesn’t have to be monotone to evoke a calm feeling.

The Graffiti series of paintings was born from a moment of anger and frustration while I was on deadline to create enough paintings for my first solo show. I vented that frustration by flinging the melted wax at the painting, carving into the wax, and then finishing it off with an angry smear of a cadmium red pigment stick, which looks just like a red lipstick that you could imagine violently smeared on a bathroom mirror.

I’ve used my art and my business to process my emotions, and it’s probably the healthiest way I’ve been able to manage my mental health through some trying times.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m in Columbia, MO, so if I had a guest I would take them to Downtown Columbia, to explore our many great local restaurants and small businesses. We’d pop into the Columbia Art League to see the current exhibit (and visit whatever painting I currently have on display), and have a burger or two at Booche’s. We would continue wandering up 9th street and visit Makes Scents, and Skylark Bookshop. Then slide over to Poppy Made By Hand. Another day, we might visit all of the shops in the North Village Arts District and end with a cocktail at DogMaster Distillery. If schedules work out, I like to bring visitors to a Mizzou football or basketball game, and if the weather is nice, we might also go for a hike at Rock Bridge State Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people deserving of a shoutout! My mom made sure I was exposed to the arts growing up. My dad modeled what it looks like to run a business. My friends have also been so supportive! I can’t name them all, but there are a few who gave me some “firsts” that got the ball rolling. Lisa Driskel Hawxby gave me my first two solo exhibition opportunities in DogMaster Distillery, which she owns with her husband and friends. Lisa Ryan, purchased my first commissioned painting. Abigail Anderson placed the very first order on my website when I launched.

Website: JLScheppersArt.com

Instagram: @JLScheppersArt

Facebook: @JLScheppersArt