Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Peddicord.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my lack of athletic talent lead me to take as many art classes as possible. My middle school art teacher hosted a small group of students in her home for art camps over the summer, and that is my most vivid memory of falling in love with art. She would teach us a new painting or drawing technique in her home studio, and then we would go out into her beautiful garden to paint from nature and put what we learned into practice. I can still remember the smells from her studio and garden, and the tranquil sound of water cascading off rocks always brings me back to that place. I fell in love with how meditative painting is that summer and never stopped creating after that. My parents actually still have the artwork I created from that summer hanging in the halls of their home!
Fast forward to college, and I decided to major in Sport and Event Management (with minors in Business and Psychology) at Elon University, with the goal of becoming a wedding planner. I interned with incredible companies throughout college, including Graylyn Estate, Rebecca Rose Events, and Southern Weddings magazine. When I graduated in 2013, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be an assistant wedding planner with Amber Housley. That same summer, I started my own business, Simply Jessica Marie! It was a great way to supplement my income from working part-time with Amber (living in Nashville costs a pretty penny!) and to further explore my artistic passion.
While I loved the wedding industry, I found that I was drawn more toward the artistic side of weddings rather than planning the logistics. So, a couple of years later, I decided to go full time with my own business. Now, I work with couples from all across the country to design custom wedding crests. I love that I am still in the wedding industry, but as an artist!
Being an artist in today’s age offers such incredible flexibility, as I am able to take my business anywhere. That has been incredibly helpful as my husband and I have moved from Nashville to Knoxville, and most recently to Dallas!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, I wish I could say it has been a smooth road! The journey of entrepreneurship comes with a lot of learning experiences. One of the biggest struggles throughout my early years was realizing that “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” As an artist, it is so easy to say yes to any project that comes your way – and can feel like a true honor that someone wants to pay you to create artwork for them!
While I do believe that experimenting to find out what style and subject matter you are drawn toward is so helpful at the beginning, after you have found your niche – don’t be afraid to stay in that lane! It will help you to become recognizable as an artist. It will help your business grow, as simplifying your offerings will attract more of the same people interested in that specific product or service. This is still a mantra I repeat to myself and have to constantly implement and evaluate in my own business!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am first and foremost a watercolor artist, and I specialize in artwork that celebrates the people, pets, and places you love. I strive to make everyday stories feel uniquely remarkable. For me, that translates into everything I paint. I specialize in watercolor wedding crests – ones that aren’t just floral and pretty, but that truly capture my couples’ love stories and lives. From illustrations of their beloved pets to vignettes of the lake where they got engaged, each design is so unique to that couple.
The other two branches of my business are my lifestyle shop and education for fellow watercolor artists. My favorite art print series is my city series, including a beautiful watercolor map of Dallas (a shop favorite!). I have plans to expand that series, launching a new city collection each month featuring map prints and landscape prints from that city. I firmly believe that art can transport you back to a place or a memory, and hope that my city series does just that for all of my collectors!
I have learned a lot over the past five years of being a professional watercolor artist. One of my biggest joys as an entrepreneur is helping other artists find their signature style and grow their own flourishing creative businesses. I currently do so through my online courses in the SJM Art School. It has classes ranging from Intro to Watercolor all the way to Digitizing Watercolor, which covers how to scan your artwork and prepare it for printed products! I also offer business resources like my Printing and Production Partners Guide, which my exact list of vendors I use and pro tips about how to work with them – this guide has been a customer favorite! I love seeing my students’ projects and their growth!
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
As an entrepreneur, finding a community to have as a support system is so crucial. There is a wonderful local community of creatives, the Dallas Tuesdays Together group (which is a part of the Rising Tide Society) that I highly recommend for all creative entrepreneurs! They meet monthly and cover a specific business topic each month. It is a great place to learn, and to connect with others who you can collaborate with for future projects.
Having a mentor, whether it is one person or a mastermind group of a few people to pour into your specific needs can also really help your business soar. I decided to invest in one-on-one coaching and a couple of artists and shop-focused mastermind groups this year, and it has been my best decision!
I recommend thinking about the entrepreneurs whose strategies and values you admire. Reach out to them to see if they offer coaching or group masterminds, and set a goal for yourself to save up to afford that coaching service. Each person will be ready for this level of mentorship at a different stage in their business (I waited until my 5th year in business!). I recommend waiting until you have a very specific area of business you need help with before investing in one-on-one coaching – that way you can get targeted help and make the most of your hour or so with that coach. In the meantime, attending monthly networking gatherings like those hosted by Tuesdays Together is so beneficial!
Pricing:
- Dallas Watercolor Map Art Print, starting at $25 https://simplyjessicamarie.com/the-lifestyle-shop/dallas-watercolor-map-art-print
- Custom Wedding Crests, starting at $450 https://simplyjessicamarie.com/the-wedding-shop/custom-watercolor-wedding-crest
- SJM Art School online watercolor courses, Semester Bundle: $657 for four courses (best deal!) https://simplyjessicamarie.com/sjm-art-school-semester
- Printing and Production Partners Guide (My vendor list for designers!) https://simplyjessicamarie.com/the-artist-shop/printing-and-production-partners-guide-for-stationers-and-lifestyle-shop-owners
Contact Info:
- Website: https://simplyjessicamarie.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/simplyjessicamarie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyjessicamarie
- Other: http://pinterest.com/simplyjessicam
Image Credit:
Headshot by Sami Kathryn, Dallas Map Art Print photo by To and From Gifts, Art Prints and Tea Towel by SC Stockshop
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
