biography

Jessie Boone grew up in Cincinnati, OH. In 1998 she moved to Athens, OH to attend Ohio University; graduating in November of 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree- concentration in painting. After graduating from O.U. she became a freelance artist and worked administrative staff for ArtWorks, a non-profit organization in downtown Cincinnati that supports/provides public art for the city. In 2005 Jessie moved to Savannah, GA to obtain her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Savannah College of Art & Design. 2010 brought her back to her hometown of Cincinnati where she works for a digital marketing agency, and interacts with the world as an animal charmer and freelance artist.

Her work explores the relationship between the human hand and the objects we choose to hold. The hand becomes a universal stand-in for the individual, while everyday objects—a cherry, a cup of coffee, a butterfly, a disco ball—carry personal and cultural associations that invite multiple interpretations rather than a single narrative.

Painted in a highly realistic style, the hands and objects create a sense of familiarity and immediacy. In contrast, the patterned abstract backgrounds remove them from a specific place or time, suggesting a space shaped by memory, emotion, and reflection rather than physical reality. This interplay between realism and abstraction encourages viewers to move beyond what they see and consider what they feel.

By presenting each object in an open gesture, the paintings invite psychological participation. Viewers instinctively imagine themselves holding the object, recalling its weight, texture, or emotional significance through their own experiences. In this way, each painting becomes less about the object itself and more about the personal connections and memories it evokes.