Artist Statement
I am an interdisciplinary eco-artist. My work focuses on plant life, biodiversity, green space, greeen infrastructure, and re-wilding. I find inspiration from natural histories, wildlife, plants, gardens, parks, maps, and more. I balanced my Studio practice in Brooklyn with a social and pedagogical practice in and around New York City that engages communities with nature in mindful ways.
My creative process begins by spending extended periods of time in a landscape, gently being in it, walking through it, closely observing it, and learning its natural history and present ecology through observation and research. I often sketch, paint, photograph, and film on site. Back at the studio, I fuse together all of the above with memory, gesture, and digital imagery into compositions in oils and mixed media.
In my paintings, I combine expressive strokes with rendered details to both evoke the feeling of the landscape and document its flora and fauna. I draw upon my knowledge as a horticulturist to illustrate specific plant characteristics, whether it’s the white silk of a milkweed pod or the red thorns of a wineberry stem, in order to offer a closer look at plants and spark curiosity and conversation about the environment. My series selected weeds, depicts, wild plants that offer environmental benefits, depending on their location, in an attempt to illuminate the complexities and nuances of plant communities. The series was inspired by the practice of selective weeding that I learned from conservation teams at the Oak Spring Garden foundation in Virginia, while an artist in 2023, were they instructed gardeners to leave weeds that benefit wildlife.
When composing my works on canvas and paper, I create hand painted frames that in circled the landscape, which represent urban and suburban hardscapes, as well as areas of quiet. Often elements of the landscape extend into the border, echoing the overlap of nature with human maid geometry, and the resurgence of nature in cities. These borders take the place of a traditional frame, allowing the work to be lightweight, requiring less energy to move in store.
Each of my projects has have a social practice component. For example, as part of my New York City natural project, which creates portraits of New York City parks, I lead, mindful nature, journaling hikes through those parks I depict. I also partner with nature forward organizations to create art events, such as the broken Greenway initiative for whom I’ve hosted botanical drawing events at their green space the naval cemetery landscape since 2023 for the old Stonehouse Brooklyn, Washington Park. I’ve been leading botanical drawing experiences since 2017.
Overall, my practice is rooted in the core belief that we are not separate from the natural world, even as residents of urban and suburban landscapes, and that the integration of nature into built environment is essential for collective health. By interacting more sensitively with nature and gaining greater understanding of it, we create a reciprocal cycle of well-being. Put another way: by learning more about plants and wildlife we will better care for our green spaces and, in turn, they will care for us.
Bio
Jessica Dalrymple studied Fine Art at Hamilton College and trained as a painter at The Art Student's League of New York and studied with renowned landscape painters; Gregg Kreutz, Scott Christenson, and John Osbourne. She has exhibited with many national and regional juried shows and has received numerous awards including the Fenimore Award which granted her a solo exhibit at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY and was commissioned by City Harvest as part of their Arts Initiative program. Her work is held in both public and private art collections. She earned a certificate in horticulture from Brooklyn Botanical Garden, is a licensed city tree pruner through Trees New York, and actively volunteers with grass roots conservancies and environmental groups.
She collaborates with nature forward organizations to create art events that raise awareness about the local landscape and environmental issues such as; co-creating ArtLab Gowanus, a pop-up structure hosting landscape related art workshops taught by local artists, made possible by the Gowanus Public Art Grant, applied for in collaboration with The Gowanus Canal Conservancy (2015). In 2014 she created a “Plein Air On The Canal” event hosting orgs such as local chapters of The Urban Sketchers and Oil Painters of America on the banks of the canal to capture the evolving landscape. Other events include Botanical Drawing for the Gowanus Dredgers focusing on local vegetation, multiple Botanical Drawing events for The Old Stone House Brooklyn featuring their gardens, and a Botanical “Drink n Draw” event to raise funds for The Human Impact Institute. Most recently she leads monthly “Mindful Nature Journaling Hikes” through New York City Parks.
CV
1-4 Person Exhibitions
2024 Selected Weeds, Gallery Particulier, Brooklyn, NY curated by, Arabella von Arx (solo)
2023 New York City Natural; Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Gateway National Park, curated by, Charles Markis (solo)
2022 This Green Urban World, curated by, Jennifer Roberts, The Interchurch Galleries, New York, NY (4 person)
2021 Nature Contained, curated by, Katherine Gressel, The Old Stone House Brooklyn (3 person)
2020 Quarantine Artworks, curated by, Sasha Chavchavadze, Dredger Boathouse, Gowanus (solo)
2018 Dalrymple + Gowanus Canal Conservancy, curated by, Jonathan Shorr, 313 Butler Gallery & Rooftop Reds Annual Benefit & Auction, Brooklyn, NY (2 person)
2017 Gowanus Landscapes; Past, Present, & Future, Dredger’s Boathouse (solo)
2017 Urbanscapes & Native/Non Natives, Interchurch Galleries, New York, NY (2 person)
2016 Natural New York; Landscapes, Urbanscapes, & Many Species In Between, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY (awareded solo exhibit)
2014 NY State Barn Portraits, Smithy Art Center, Cooperstown, NY (2 person)
2010 Nature In The City, Gallery at 350 Bleecker, curated by, Robinson Holloway, NY, NY (solo)
Selected Awards & Residencies
2023-2024 Greenway Botanical Garden, artist in residence
2023 Oak Spring Gardens Foundation, artist in residence
2022 City Harvest Art Initiative Program, 1 of 9 artists commissioned to create art
2020 Gilbertsville Expressive Movement, Gilbertsville, NY, awarded residency (however it was cancelled due to COVID 19)
2018 Critical Feedback Program, Trestle Art Space, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Michael Brennan)
2017 Soaring Gardens / Ora Lerman Charitable Trust, artist residency, Laceyville, PA
2016 Brooklyn Art Space (six month artist residency with advisor Christina Kelly)
2015 The Fenimore Award, Art By The Lake, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY
2015 Gowanus Public Art Grant ($10,000); in collab w/ Gowanus Canal Conservancy
2014 Arts Advocate Award, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Brooklyn, NY
2012 Honorable Mention, Mountain Art Show, Bernardsville, NJ
2011 2nd Place Oils & Acrylics, Armonk Outdoor Art Exhibit, Armonk, NY
2009 1st Prize: Best Interpretation Of The NY Landscape, Fenimore’s Taste of The Sublime
Selected Group Shows
2025 Safe Keeping, Richard and Dolly Maas Gallery, Purchase College, curated by Greg Wharby & Melissa
2025 (Un)Natural Habitats Gowanus, Littlefields, Brooklyn, curated by Why Not Art
2024 Oak Spring; A Place To Grow, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, curated by, Danielle Eady
2022 & 2023 Upstate Art Weekend, Through the Woods & Summer Camp, Lexington House Gallery, curator, Jill Benson
2021 Art For Environmental Action & Climate Justice, curated by, Tracy Penn, New York, NY
2021 Gowanus Night Heron, curated by, Bonnie Ralston, Kaisa Zurek-Doule, & M. Draskoczy, Brooklyn, NY
2020 Regeneration In Place, with the Gowanus Swim Society & the Environmental Performance Agency, curated by Katherine Gressel, Old Stone House Brooklyn, BK, NY
2019 Green, Site Brooklyn, juried by Eva Diaz, curated by, Denise Amis, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Synapses, The Hewitt Gallery of Art/Marymount College curated by, Hallie Cohen NY, NY
2018 Processing, The Old Stone House Brooklyn, curated by Katherine Gressel
2017 The Four Seasons, Village West Gallery, curated by, Robinson Holloway, Jersey City, NJ
2016 Falling In, Trestle Gallery, curated by, Melissa Staiger, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Quantum Leap, Trestle Gallery, curated by, Katrina LaFranco, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Conversation Pieces, curated by, Andrea Alban, Fenimore Art Museum
2012 Art Show: Bedford!, St. Matthew’s Annual Juried Exhibit, contributing artist since 2005 2010 Eat Art – A Visual Feast, curated by, Pamela Talese, Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY, NY
Education
MFA Candidate at SUNY Purchase 2027
B.A. graduated Cum Laude with honors in Fine Art, Hamilton College, NY 1994 Art Student’s League 2001-2003
Certificate In Horticulture / Brooklyn Botanical Garden 2022
Teaching
2020-2024 Mindful Nature Journaling Hikes in NYC Parks in all 5 boroughs
2024 Instructor of Botanical drawing & painting for Molly Oliver Flowers
2017-2020 Trestle Workshops; Instructor; Contemporary Botanical Drawing & Painting 2019-present Hamilton College; Guest Painting & Drawing Lecturer/Instructor
2019-present The Old Stone House Brooklyn; Instructor; Botanical Drawing & Plein Air 2020 Virtual Boathouse Botanical Draw, Dredger’s Boathouse, Brooklyn, NY
2016-2018 ArtLab Gowanus; Curator, Coordinator, & Instructor of art workshops
2008 - 2011 Adjunct Professor of Studio Art & Drawing, NJIT
Memberships
2021- Present Gallery Particulier (whose mission includes loaning art to low income households) 2024 - Steward/Gowanus Dredgers
2020 - 2022 - Gowanus Night Heron
2017 - 2020 Gowanus Swim Society Artist Collective
2013 - 2020 Gowanus Canal Conservancy Volunteer Committee Member & Co-Chair 2013 - Present Trees NYC – licensed citizen pruner
2008 - 2013 Embankment Coalition, volunteer/member Jersey City, NJ
Published & Collections
2024 Oak Spring Garden Foundation acquired Selected Weed; Mullein
2022 City Harvest; acquired/commissioned Urbanscape for City Harvest
2021 Gowanus Canal Conservancy acquired Urbanscape Triptych II; Gowanus Canal
2009 SUNY Cobleskill College of Agriculture & Technology acquired Bank Barn II
2010 The Barns Of New York, Rural Architecture of the Empire State, by, Cynthia G. Falk, Cornell University, 04/2012 Jessica’s painting Bank Barn was included in Cynthia’s book.
2022 Cover Art for City Journal Spring issue
Press Mentions
*Hyperallergic, Colorful & Immersive Expereinces at the 2017 Gowanus Open Studios,” by, Elena Goukassin
“Artists Inspired By The Canal,” by, Caroline Spivak for DNA Info “Go Gowanus,” Brooklyn Paper by, Sarah Dougan October 2016
“By The River Fumes: Painters Gather to render Gowanus Canal,” by Noah Hurwitz, Brooklyn Paper September 2014
“LikeKnowsLike” blog, featured artist photographed & written by Keturah Davis 2014 “Art for Food Lovers,” by, Charlotte Druckman, New York Times December 2010 “Jersey City Studio Tour 2011”, by Greg Brickly, The Jersey Journal September 2011 “Pictures At An Exhibition” by Even Marx, The Record Review January 2010
“The Beauty of Decay, Two Exhibits Find Art In The City’s Relics”, John Zeaman, Newark Star Ledger October 2010
“Painting En Plein Air”, The Daily Freeman September 2006
“New Artist’s At Colorscape”,The Evening Sun September 2005