Jessie Robertson is a multimedia artist who creates equally scientific and inviting depictions of animals. Jessie’s best known for her focus on frogs, which alongside art has been her lifelong passion. By painting and sculpting the diverse species she researches, Jessie works to promote their conservation.
Jessie donates 10% of her sales to the international amphibian conservation organization SAVE THE FROGS!.
Artist Statement
Ever since I can remember, I have been filled with a great love for frogs and toads. Everything about them, from their bright eyes and wide grins, to powerful movements and adaptions, amazes me. That’s what’s inspired me to capture their diversity through art. However, this passion took on a much greater meaning when I discovered the international frog conservation organization SAVE THE FROGS! in 2012, and learned of the enormous threats that frog species face. Of the more than 7,000 known species of frogs and toads, it is estimated that over 70% are in decline, with roughly 1/3 of all amphibian species in danger of extinction by 2050.
Ever since, I’ve been determined to use my art to help. By combining painting, sculpture, and infographics to present frog species’ stories, I hope to spread awareness of the overwhelming threats they face. By sharing my art at Art in Bloom Gallery, I work to raise funds for their global conservation. And by expressing the beauty I’ve always seen in frogs, I hope to encourage viewers to love them as well. The tragedy of frogs’ dramatic declines is that every threat they face, from climate change to infectious disease, is human caused. But that’s exactly why I have so much hope that we can work together to save them. Frogs are our friends, and I hope we can learn to be better friends to them.
Biography
Born in Memphis, TN, Jessie Robertson moved with her family to Wilmington in 2010. Since 2017, Jessie’s award-winning art has displayed in several group and solo art exhibits, including shows at Wilma Daniels Gallery, ACES Gallery, 216 N. Front Street, the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, and Art in Bloom Gallery. While continuing her education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Jessie worked as a gallery assistant and filmmaker at Art in Bloom Gallery, where her work is represented. Now, having graduated from UNCW with bachelor’s degrees in Studio Art and Digital Arts in 2023, she continues to explore artwork through painting, sculpture, and digital multimedia. Jessie hopes that the more she learns and creates, the more successful she will be in achieving her goal of saving the frogs.
More of Jessie’s work can be found at: https://jrfrogs.com/
