Taruni, Jessica

Born in Europe, Jessica grew up traveling the world with her adventurous parents. Her grandfather in Prague was a patron of the arts and his collection inspired her at an early age to become an artist. She credits Ken Dixon with being her most influential teacher while attending Texas Tech University, where she switched from Advertising Art and Illustration to a double major in Fine Art and Dance. He taught her about color and the essence of form, and all the watercolor paintings she did in his class sold later in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After college, with a small group of friends, Jessica started a healing environment community in a remote mountain area of New Mexico, designing and building “Earth Houses”, using available, renewable materials, and without power tools. Although it was a magical experience, the call to move to Hawaii was very strong. “The idea of witnessing the creation of land, live, still fascinates me.” Jessica has watched the Pu’u O‘o eruption since the beginning in 1983, and “the volcano is still the core inspiration for my art.” She paints predominantly in oils and acrylics. “My technique isn’t static and is always changing and evolving. Most paintings are a blend of realism, mystique and fantasy.” Jessica also works in stained glass and mosaics, mostly by commission. She claims it is more of a challenge, “a whole different approach to the visual impact of light and color.”
“Documentation of Hawaii’s natural beauty, landscapes and mythology portrayed in paintings, stained glass and mosaics is where my art is heading in the future. I am always working on improving my skills and technique, exploring new venues to translate my vision and ideas into art. I have enough inspiration for many lifetimes.”