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Phases of the Watercolor Moon, With Jessica Mullis

Phases of the Watercolor Moon, With Jessica Mullis

Jessica Mullis’ art has taught her the skill of going with the flow…the watercolor flow, that is. At one time, Jessica considered herself strictly a graphic designer. But after a few chats with spiritual healers and quality time with a watercolor set, she witnessed the layers of her own artistry emerge…in the form of otherworldly moonscapes. Listen to this episode of The Cultured Podcast to find out where Jessica’s art is headed next and how she recently used it to help heal her community of Dayton, Ohio, in a time of tragedy. Visit culturedpodcast.com for full transcripts of this episode and links to things mentioned.

Read the episode transcript below.

Listen to this episode of The Cultured Podcast to discover how Jessica Mullis went from strictly considering herself a graphic design to becoming a full-blown artist who goes with the watercolor flow.

Transcript

Michelle Khouri 0:00
What if I told you this artist could put the moon in the palm of your hand? On this episode of The Cultured Podcast, we’re talking to watercolor artist and graphic design extraordinaire Jessica Mullis, who drops the moon down to earth through art.

Michelle Khouri 0:23
Welcome to The Cultured Podcast. I’m Michelle Khouri and together we’ll journey into the unknown reaches of the art world.

Michelle Khouri 0:31
(singing) Hello my babies! Welcome back to The Cultured Podcast. We’re going to talk about art and the moon. So yeah, that’s basically what we’re going to talk about today. We’ll be talking to Jessica Mullis aka Moondrop Jessica about her stunning pieces that are watercolor paintings of the moon, and oftentimes are wrapped in resin. So they are just like sparkly, beautiful little circles that represent the moon, which happens to also be our inspiration this week. I know. It’s perfect. I am basically a follower of the moon. If there is such a thing as the cult of the moon….nevermind I shouldn’t joke about cults because that’s just scary. I just love the moon, y’all. And the moon actually in symbolism represents very feminine energy.

And I talk to people about the moon a lot. You know, oftentimes I’m like, “Oh wow, there’s a full moon. No wonder we feel like this, like very extra with emotion.” or “There’s a new moon. This is a great time to start thinking about the new cycles that you want to create in your own life.” And oftentimes when I’m talking to someone who doesn’t really do the woo woo thing, they ask me like, why do you think the moon affects you?” Like, there’s a lot of doubt surrounding how the moon actually affects us as human beings. But I have the same answer every time. If the moon can affect the oceans of this planet, which are just a little bit larger than one human body, then I’m pretty sure it would affect a human body that is made up of, like, 75% water. So just think about that.

There’s a lot of planetary movements happening around us at all times. But in particular, this like very close neighbor that we have, which is the moon, has some direct impact on us. So the moon kind of keeps us in check. It gives us moods, gives us stuff to think about. I love looking out my window and seeing the moon and there’s something about moonlight in particular that makes me feel this sense of like euphoria and calm. And that’s probably why I gravitated so deeply to Jessica’s work, because she captures these moonscape and she makes these like little craters on some of her pieces out of gold leaf. And there’s something so magical and otherworldly about her work that sort of takes you outside of the minutia and the micro of your every day and elevates you.

Anyway, the moon makes me happy. And so I’m super happy that we get to talk to someone about the moon this whole episode. And then there are a couple other things that she’s going to talk to us about, like, for instance, about community and how her own community has been impacted. But before I ruin the whole dang episode for you, let’s get into it. Come on.

Michelle Khouri 3:43
Hello, Jessica.

Jessica Mullis 3:45
Hello.

Michelle Khouri 3:45
Welcome to The Cultured Podcast.

Jessica Mullis 3:48
Thank you.

Michelle Khouri 3:50
First and foremost, you know, why don’t you tell us The Cultured Crew, who you are and what your art form is?

Jessica Mullis 3:57
Yes, I’m Jessica, like you said. And I paint under the name Moondrop. Basically, I paint moon-inspired watercolor paintings. I call them moons but it’s really just, you know, cosmos-inspired otherworldly themes inside of a circle. It all comes back to the moon because that’s where it started.

Michelle Khouri 4:19
Right.

Jessica Mullis 4:19
So, I guess the easiest way to say it is just cosmic explosions inside of circles.

Michelle Khouri 4:26
I’m on board. That was actually a really great way to say it.

Jessica Mullis 4:29
Yeah. (laughter)

Michelle Khouri 4:29
Circles themselves being a shape with tons of imagery. And, you know, the sacred geometry of a circle is really interesting because it represents infinity but also like this boundary line that has a duality in and of itself.

Jessica Mullis 4:45
Exactly!

Michelle Khouri 4:46
So, we’ll explore that for sure. Your art name is Moondrop Jessica. You started painting the moon. When and how and why?

Jessica Mullis 4:57
Great questions. (laughter) Sometimes I find in my life, I don’t know if you can relate to this, but I sometimes don’t learn the why until sometimes many years down the road.

Michelle Khouri 5:06
Yes.

Jessica Mullis 5:08
The impetus, I guess we could start from. I had been told by…I worked with a lot of different spiritual healers kind of in the last 10 years of my life just sort of exploring my own self, and purpose and etc. And a lot of them always told me, you know, they assumed I was a painter for some reason. Anyway, not to go too far down that, I kind of stuck with me a lot and…

Michelle Khouri 5:31
They assumed you were a painter…See, I like to go far down the rabbit hole. (laughter)

Jessica Mullis 5:37
So I guess when they’re using their, you know, super magical intuitive powers, they’d be like, “You’re a creative!” I’m like, “Yes.” And I would say I’m a graphic designer, because that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 16/17 years. And that would usually kind of take them by surprise and they’re like, “Oh, no, no, I see you with a brush.” Like okay, well, that’s not me. That’s not me. You know, I don’t…I don’t do that. I had like a pretty hard delineation between myself as a graphic artist and and maybe somebody who would be considered a fine artist.

Michelle Khouri 6:03
Why do you think that is?

Jessica Mullis 6:03
I think it has a lot to do with actually where I went to college and kind of where I gave birth to my graphic design skill set. It was just kind of the culture there at the college that we were very separated. And so it just kind of…that is just something I think that just stuck with me. Since I kept hearing this, you know, you should be holding a paintbrush, I didn’t forget that. As life would have it, I was given a set of paint brushes and watercolors from someone I was close to and ended up having kind of a tumultuous relationship with this person. And during that time of heartache, it wasn’t so much that I wanted to paint. I don’t think I was like, “I’m going to heal,” I was like I just want something else to do besides be upset. So I just sat down with my watercolors and went down a few YouTube rabbit holes. I don’t know why I thought of the moon. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert and her book Big Magic, but I honestly think now looking back, two years later, that it was like a magical idea that came knocking and I was open to it.

Michelle Khouri 7:03
Yes. It’s almost like channeling, right?

Jessica Mullis 7:06
Yeah. It’s like I was available to download that magic. And I was in a really receptive place. It just started from there.

Michelle Khouri 7:14
It’s funny how that heartache can kind of crack us open. Those tough situations in our lives can crack us open in a way that makes us way more receptive to things. Then when we are on our guard and have our barriers up…

Jessica Mullis 7:31
Very true.

Michelle Khouri 7:31
Because we’re thinking through everything. When we are made vulnerable, we’re stripped bare, and all the sudden, it’s like, “Well, what do I have to lose?”

Jessica Mullis 7:38
Right!

Michelle Khouri 7:39
That’s amazing. So did you always have an interest in painting and drawing or art?

Jessica Mullis 7:45
Actually, I didn’t.

Michelle Khouri 7:48
Wow! Super surprising.

Jessica Mullis 7:50
I was more of a creative thinker. And when I was about 19, kind of fumbling through college doing majors that my friends were doing, because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I became friends with a graphic designer back in the late 90s. I’m old.

Michelle Khouri 8:10
Girl, you’re only as old as you feel.

Jessica Mullis 8:13
So, I was so inspired and excited by everything that they were making and doing and creating. And I said, you know, I have tons of ideas. I just didn’t think I could do anything with them. You know, if I could just learn how to get my ideas out of my head, maybe actually, maybe graphic design? I think I just said advertising at the time because I didn’t know what to do. So I walked into a community college and said, “I think I need to be in advertising.” And then that led to taking drawing and design, which I was terrible at.

Michelle Khouri 8:41
Really?

Jessica Mullis 8:42
I mean I can follow instructions so I always got good grades, but I wouldn’t say that anything was like really remarkable to look at. It wasn’t until I got into actual graphic design and you know, learning how to get my ideas alive on computer and start making things that I saw that I had, I had a gift for that.

Michelle Khouri 8:59
Well, and you do. I’ve seen your graphic design work. And there aren’t many people who work in branding, especially freelancers who I actually think, have the right skill set to create brands. And I just love your approach and your style when it comes to branding. What do you think it was about graphic design that clicked for you above painting and drawing?

Jessica Mullis 9:22
I think it just helped me kind of land in my place. I think I really was able to walk into who I was meant to be on the planet right now. It gave me a sense of purpose.

Michelle Khouri 9:32
That’s powerful.

Jessica Mullis 9:33
And I saw myself, I think for the first time, truly excel at something. I felt like I had a place now. A purpose.

Michelle Khouri 9:41
Yeah, that’s really powerful. And it is interesting how things come full circle because then you’re gifted this paintbrush and watercolor set, and you opened yourself, right? Because, you know, it’s kind of like what we were talking about before you kept telling yourself, “I’m not an artist. I’m not an artist. I’m a graphic designer,” and those voices are the only thing stopping you from actually being an artist, right? And when they got out of the way, guess what you became?

Jessica Mullis 10:10
You know, and I still I still struggle with that. Like, I talk about that with my partner constantly because she’s always like, “This is my girlfriend. She’s an artist.” I’m like, “Okay, hold on.” (laughter)

Michelle Khouri 10:17
Really?

Jessica Mullis 10:18
Yes, I still…

Michelle Khouri 10:19
Still…no? (Laughter)

Jessica Mullis 10:19
I still panic. I’m like, “Oh, don’t show them my work, they’re going to be like…what??”

Michelle Khouri 10:24
Jessica, you are on The Cultured Podcast. You are officially an artist!

Jessica Mullis 10:29
That means so much. It’s all too much. But, you know, I think I like to think also…I feel like I feel comfortable being a creative. So I guess that’s where I feel comfortable right now.

Michelle Khouri 10:39
Well, you know, being a creative and an artist is having to look at the blank canvas, which is sort of a representation of the fear that we carry with starting something new and the fear of failure that we may carry. And succumbing. Just getting over that fear and accepting it and moving past it. And oftentimes, you carry that fear with you throughout a whole painting because the deeper you get into it, I don’t know if you feel this way, but the deeper you get into it, the more fear you have of messing it up in some way.

Jessica Mullis 11:10
That’s completely true. And that’s something I actually talked about recently. Like, again with my partner, I just said, you know, I’ll be all the way up to where I think, you know, I’m almost done with it. And I’m thinking, “This is the most terrible thing I’ve ever seen.” And then, all of a sudden, there’s these moments that come together, and then it’s finished. And I’m like, “Oh, that’s amazing!”

Michelle Khouri 11:28
Yes!

Jessica Mullis 11:29
So yes, you’re exactly right, this fear goes to the end almost.

Michelle Khouri 11:33
And do those moments feel like you’re taking a leap of sorts?

Jessica Mullis 11:37
Yes, completely. And I think that’s what painting has done for me in general. I couldn’t have planned it. I always say that if I could have thought of putting this on my bucket list, I would have. Just for what it’s taught me and where it’s taken me. And the experience I’ve had as a result and how I can relate it to other parts of my life. You know, like, it sounds super cheesy and cliche, but to go with the flow. That’s what the watercolors have done for me.

Michelle Khouri 12:02
Literally, right?

Jessica Mullis 12:03
Literally.

Michelle Khouri 12:04
Literally, figuratively.

Jessica Mullis 12:05
Yes. I feel like I have to get out of the way of it, you know? Like it’s got it’s own thing.

Michelle Khouri 12:09
Oh, I love that. “I feel like I have to get out of the way of that,” I love that. How did you get from somebody gifting you a watercolor set and a paintbrush to now having an Etsy shop where you know you scroll down your shop page and it’s like sold out, sold out, sold out. You have commissions going. You know, you’re really finding your pacing as a thriving artist. But there’s a lot of in-between between the beginning of that story and the present.

Jessica Mullis 12:36
Yes, I’m pretty sure it started when I decided to give it away for free. During that initial period of kind of just using different color palettes, different kinds of moon in the early month. I painted a set of three moons and I thought I would give it to the person who gifted me the paint set and the brushes. And then I thought better of it and thought, “Absolutely not. This is ridiculous. Why would I do that?” And then I had, I was in Atlanta at the time and had been a follower of the free art scene that you know the #FAFATL. And of course, didn’t think I belonged anywhere near that except somebody who would collect pieces. So I was like, you know what, I’m going to go out there. I live in Cabbagetown. Like, I’m just going to give them away and see what happens. And literally after that moment, people were messaging me, “Can I buy these? Can I commission these?”

Michelle Khouri 13:24
So tell us a little bit more about this free art community. Because those who may not have it in their cities, you know, we have a really strong, tight-knit free art community here. So I’d love for people to understand more about it.

Jessica Mullis 13:37
Yes, so the free art scene was wonderful as I feel like it’s open to everyone. So it makes art accessible. And it creates something that the community can kind of gather around, rally around. Artists, makers, whoever you are, you make your piece. You put it out there in the world. You use social media to, kind of, create a scavenger hunt. And then I guess the rules are, is the person who claimed it would comment and say “Claimed.” And it’s just, I think, a wonderful way to connect people with art when I think sometimes art can feel kind of out of reach for some people, whether it is too expensive or even if it’s the maker thinking “I’m not good enough,” you know?

Michelle Khouri 14:15
Totally. It’s very much in the spirit. I love it because it takes you out of the more intimidating art spaces. You know, so many people can feel intimidated by art galleries, even art museums. And this takes it into, like, the local street corner, you know, wherever you bike by every day. And also it allows artists like you who are just starting out to participate and start gaining an appreciation for what they are putting into the world.

Jessica Mullis 14:43
Absolutely. Through that, I was able to connect with maybe at the time that I would consider like my art heroes locally and you know, in the Atlanta community. Making connections that way with people whose murals I had driven by or taken a selfie in front of.

Michelle Khouri 14:56
That’s super cool.

Jessica Mullis 14:58
Very cool.

Michelle Khouri 14:58
Why do you think it hasn’t taken off in Dayton?

Michelle Khouri 15:01
The free art?

Michelle Khouri 15:02
Yeah.

Jessica Mullis 15:02
I think just lack of knowledge about it. You know, I went right for what I thought would be like the greatest spot for it to come to life and it kind of just fell flat. I just needed to get connected. You know? So, that’s what one of the things I’ve been doing. You know, I’ve had some pieces at one of the local shops in the Oregon District, which is that area that just experienced that tragedy.

Michelle Khouri 15:22
Yeah.

Jessica Mullis 15:23
So I think it’s just a matter of getting the word out and getting connected with the community. Like, how can I expect a community that didn’t know me that I didn’t know, to instantly respond to this? That’s actually something on my short term list to get focused back on and see if I can connect with other artists and makers out there that would be willing to participate.

Michelle Khouri 15:43
Speaking of that district and the recent tragedy…

Jessica Mullis 15:48
Yeah.

Michelle Khouri 15:48
My heart really goes out to you and your community and I know that my Cultured Crew feels the same way.

Jessica Mullis 15:54
Yeah.

Michelle Khouri 15:55
And your household was very personally impacted by this tragedy. Would you mind talking a little bit about that?

Jessica Mullis 16:01
Of course. Yes. So my partner she’s a general surgery resident and she happened to be on call last weekend. We were in bed, you know 1 a.m., the pager goes off which is not uncommon in our life. And then the stories just started pouring in. She went to Grandview Hospital, one of the three hospitals that responded. So, it was terrifying, you know, having her leave the house and go into the complete unknown. Not the good kind. It is the art district. It’s the hip district. It’s the area that anybody goes to when you want to go out in Dayton. When I was actually just they’re participating the night before, at their art in the city event, I had a booth out. So just, too close.

Michelle Khouri 16:46
Yeah, it feels really close, right? There’s just a random set of actions that shifted it by a day or whatever.

Jessica Mullis 16:55
Exactly. And you can’t help but think about those things.

Michelle Khouri 16:58
Yeah, you can’t. You can’t help but think about those things. It feels too surreal when it’s other cities, and then all of a sudden it gets very real. Thank you, huge thank you to your partner and all of her colleagues for being the people who have to look at such tragic, gruesome things in the eye and do something about it. And, you know, they choose to do that.

Jessica Mullis 17:21
Yeah.

Michelle Khouri 17:22
So that’s..we need them. And so thank you. So you responded in the best way that you know how, which is always through self-expression through art. And so you actually did design a T-shirt for this?

Jessica Mullis 17:38
I did. Yeah.

Michelle Khouri 17:39
So tell us about the design and why you chose to respond in that way.

Jessica Mullis 17:43
It just felt natural to me. Like what can I do to give back? I mean yes, I can go and I can give my money and I can donate, you know, my heart, my hugs, whatever is needed. But I knew that this would just be a way that I could directly give something and the proceeds of the shirt design go to help those are affected. And through art I heal and hoping like that act of love on my end will help, you know, others heal. A good friend of mine who I go to the gym with just started her own at home t-shirt business. I thought this is perfect. I was like this, you know, it’ll give you…you’re gonna dive in, you’re gonna be busy. Let’s do this. So it’s been great to see the response of people that want to help out and not just me. I mean, like, the community is going nuts over creating t-shirts and giving back. You know, a lot of the local restaurants are donating their sales and all the proceeds. So it’s a huge community effort. I’m just happy to be a part of it.

Michelle Khouri 18:39
How do circumstances like this, that weave in and out of your life and leave all these different types of marks? How do they affect your art?

Jessica Mullis 18:50
That is a good question. I think it just does keep me more open. Because it just feels like when these things happen and everything is just stripped away: what do I want to be in that moment? You know, I just want love and beauty and magic and kindness. In those moments I think is when we can make some of our best work, more authentic. It just, you know, it did open the floodgates for more ideas of just how else can I express how this makes it feel.

Michelle Khouri 19:16
Right. What you put out into the world through your art is so beautiful and feels so magical and ethereal and otherworldly that I imagine it’s almost like an escape.

Jessica Mullis 19:26
It is, it is. You know, I feel like some of the pieces do feel like a magical escape but I also you know, since I am a digital artist as well, I have played with making composites with photography I’d taken and layering and some of the watercolor on top of them. I end up making these like, otherworldly places and lately I posted one and I was like, “I want to go here.”

Michelle Khouri 19:48
Oh Jessica, I die for the composites.

Jessica Mullis 19:50
They’re so fun.

Michelle Khouri 19:51
Oh my God. It’s so cool.

Michelle Khouri 19:54
It is it looks like a double exposure photography, which we did an episode about earlier. And it looks like the painted version of that, almost like a mountainscape on top of like a moonscape. It’s just crazy.

Jessica Mullis 20:08
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Khouri 20:08
It’s bonkers. Really beautiful.

Jessica Mullis 20:10
It’s fun.

Michelle Khouri 20:11
So speaking of that, we get to go into my geek out portion of this interview, which is process and tools. (laughter) So I saw an earlier post that you had said that you have a love affair with watercolor. And I’ve dabbled. I’ve dabbled in a lot of art forms just because I like to just experience what these other artists go through. And watercolor is an interesting medium. Tell us about like the challenges, but also, the opportunities of working in watercolor?

Jessica Mullis 20:45
Sure, I think the challenges are also, like, pretty much the same as the opportunity. I feel like I have a little bit less control over what happens. You know when colors splash together it creates something new for me to explore, which can be challenging if I didn’t intend for it to go that way. But also it can be like..oh, well, you know. That’s kind of what I said earlier how I like to let it take the lead.

Michelle Khouri 21:10
Right. You have to flow with the flow of the water color.

Jessica Mullis 21:12
Exactly. My biggest challenges have mostly been not necessarily working with the colors, but figuring out the paper. Paper is hugely important.

Michelle Khouri 21:21
And why is that?

Jessica Mullis 21:23
Different thicknesses of paper, different types of paper, and different brands of paper, they pick up the paint differently. Sometimes I feel like I’ll get the wrong paper and the water sits on top of it. There’s other times where it’s like velvet. So I think for the last few years, I’ve definitely been through tons of types of paper and I think I figured out the one I love the most.

Michelle Khouri 21:41
What is it?

Jessica Mullis 21:41
Which unfortunately is the most expensive. I love Arches Cold Press.

Michelle Khouri 21:46
Cold press…I feel like that’s a latte. Can I drink it? (laughter)

Jessica Mullis 21:50
Exactly. Just the way it handles the paint is beautiful.

Michelle Khouri 21:56
Wow. So other than that, what are your go-to tools?

Jessica Mullis 22:00
My go-to tool for just watercolor it’s just, you know, the watercolor paint, the paper… I sometimes incorporate gold leaf just for fun.

Michelle Khouri 22:12
Yes. It’s like gold craters, is what it looks like. It’s really cool.

Jessica Mullis 22:17
Yeah, basically if I have an idea I go and buy the thing to make the idea come to life. Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty simple when it comes down to it: paper, water, color.

Michelle Khouri 22:29
And resin.

Jessica Mullis 22:30
Yes! And then I got the idea to put these moons on, you know, wooden discs and then coat them with resin and that just took it to a whole other dimension.

Michelle Khouri 22:39
And then you mount this resin moon, which just looks really…there is something about the polish of resin laid over the texture of water color and all of these layers of paint interacting with one another. That is then mounted in a shadow box.

Jessica Mullis 22:56
Yeah.

Michelle Khouri 22:56
So there’s just, like, so much depth to your work.

Jessica Mullis 22:59
Yes, that’s a that’s a pretty recent thing that I had started to do. I was just doing the moon. And I’ll just get an idea. Like, oh, I should try that. And I was like, “Oh, yes!”

Michelle Khouri 23:11
Yes!

Jessica Mullis 23:13
More dimension.

Michelle Khouri 23:13
Ding, ding, ding.

Jessica Mullis 23:14
Yeah, that’s one of my favorite new things.

Michelle Khouri 23:18
So where do you think your work is going next? What are you toying with right now?

Jessica Mullis 23:22
Well, I started toying with working with just resin. And I got my hands on some molds and started mixing paints with the resins and trying to see what I could do with that which turned into me creating the mobile.

Michelle Khouri 23:39
Oh yes! These are like your crescent moons that you were playing with.

Jessica Mullis 23:44
Yeah!

Michelle Khouri 23:44
Yes, very cool.

Jessica Mullis 23:45
Yeah, they’re just resin and acrylic paint, which I have really have a hard time with acrylic, because I don’t really know anything until I start getting my hands to do it. But it’s actually got me interested in learning more about how to put things together like that. Not necessarily to be a jewelry maker, but I want to know a little bit more about how to work with metals and how to expand my knowledge of working with other materials.

Michelle Khouri 24:10
Oh metals…

Jessica Mullis 24:10
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Khouri 24:11
Oh, I’m excited!

Jessica Mullis 24:13
I know. I have a lot of things on my Christmas wish list right now. (laughter)

Michelle Khouri 24:16
Yes, you do.

Jessica Mullis 24:18
That involve fire, metal and all kinds of chemicals.

Michelle Khouri 24:21
Fire and chemicals. Hmm. This is feeling more dangerous by the second.

Jessica Mullis 24:27
No. Yeah, I’m very interested in learning how to do copper electroforming as well.

Michelle Khouri 24:33
Copper electroforming? What is that?

Jessica Mullis 24:36
A lot of jewelry makers use this. A lot of people who do, kind of, crystal necklaces, where you you paint the edges and, forgive my lack of total knowledge about this, and some sort of lead conductor paint and you soak it into solution for a long time and then it gives the edge or a bevel, that old copper look.

Michelle Khouri 24:55
That’s beautiful.

Jessica Mullis 24:56
I don’t know what I want to do with any of this but I just can’t stop with the ideas so that’s kind of where I’ve been heading lately.

Michelle Khouri 25:03
Well that just means that we have to be looking out for your work and staying very tuned to what you have going on. So tell us how we can do that. Where can we find your work? And where do you want us to follow you?

Jessica Mullis 25:16
Sure, the most up to date is always on my Instagram, which is moondrop.jessica. I do have a website where you can see things I have for sale but I’m kind of bad about keeping it updated. And mostly I use it to post commissions for people to buy moondropcollective.com.

Michelle Khouri 25:36
Got it.There’s a lot coming and…

Jessica Mullis 25:39
I’m all over the place!

Michelle Khouri 25:40
I can’t wait to see the resins and the acrylics and the copper…what do you call it? What is it?

Jessica Mullis 25:46
Electroforming. (laughter)

Michelle Khouri 25:48
Copper electroforming, and the chemicals, and the fire. What they all yield together. Like no pressure, but big hopes.

Jessica Mullis 25:55
Right. I feel like my process is not very sexy. I feel like I’m throwing spaghetti at the wall and I’m like, “Hmm. Does that stick? I don’t know.”

Michelle Khouri 26:03
I think that’s art. You are an artist. Bringing it full circle.

Jessica Mullis 26:09
Darnit!

Michelle Khouri 26:09
No pun intended.

Jessica Mullis 26:11
Oh my gosh, that’s awesome.

Michelle Khouri 26:12
Jessica, thank you so much for talking to us today. I really appreciate it.

Jessica Mullis 26:17
Thank you. I’m honored, truly. It’s been wonderful.

Michelle Khouri 26:25
All right, y’all, it’s time for me to moonwalk out of this episode. But truly, Jessica is a doll. And you know, I just love talking to someone who feels so deeply and then puts that into their work in such a honest and direct way. So you know where to find her. She’s already told you. And y’all, until our next journey into the unknown, you know what to do. Keep it classy. Keep it curious. Keep it cultured.

Michelle Khouri 27:21
Visit culturedpodcast.com for show notes and subscription links. The Cultured Podcast is a production of my podcast production company FRQNCY Media. I’m the host Michelle Khouri. Enna Garkusha is our producer. Becca Godwin is our associate producer. And we’re recording at the lovely Bravo Ocean Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.