Resonance

by Jessica M. Hancock

“I work from a conviction that art transcends figuration to touch something more essential — the profound geometries of nature and the quiet magnitude of existence. My practice is rooted in abstraction, not as a reaction against representation, but as a deliberate pursuit of what lies beneath visible form. A physicist colleague, observing the three-dimensional quality of geometry and pattern I achieve on a two-dimensional surface, coined my style “Vennism” — a term I have since embraced as an apt description of the spatial tensions and layered relationships that define my work. Every piece I create is entirely hand-drawn or hand-painted — no digital tools, no computed shortcuts. Working in ink, watercolor, and gouache on watercolor paper or illustration board, I rely solely on a compass, a ruler, a pencil, and ink pens to frame my compositions. This is not a romantic affectation; it is fundamental to the integrity of the work. The process is methodical and rigorously planned from first mark to last. I think carefully about how each element interacts with every other — from the thinnest white line to the boldest black stripe — understanding that even the smallest decision shapes the emotional and visual weight of the whole. What may appear spontaneous in my work is, in fact, the product of sustained discipline. The controlled entropy of my compositions reflects both a deep attention to detail and a desire to express ideas, emotions, and events with precision. I am interested in the interplay of uniformity and complexity — how the repetition of a carefully constructed pattern can simultaneously feel mathematical and alive. My work explores the tension among order, emergence, and the real, asking viewers to look beyond surface geometry into something less easily named. Nature and theology are abiding presences in my practice. Not necessarily as subject matter to be illustrated, but as structural principles — the fractal patience of growth, the symmetry embedded in living systems, the sense that the visible world is underlaid by invisible laws of tremendous elegance. Art, to me, is a dynamic interplay of perspectives: mine as maker, yours as viewer, and something larger that neither of us fully controls. Through this lens, I aspire to create work that is authentically personal while opening outward into a deeper dialogue about what it means to exist in this particular, extraordinary universe. A graduate of Westminster College of Salt Lake City with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Art (Magna Cum Laude, 1998), and an expected Master of Divinity and Theology (2026), I maintain studios in Utah and Noblesville, Indiana. My work has been exhibited across the United States and featured in international publications including Artist Talk Magazine, Studio Visit Magazine, and ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal. I am a signature member of the National Association of Women Artists, and a member of the American, North American, and National Watercolor Societies, and the American Society of Botanical Illustrators, among other organizations. Pearl Drums has licensed my art for their Masterworks Series, Westminster John Knox Press has published my art, and my original work is held in both public and private collections worldwide.”