Meet Jess, Founder & Creator
I have always been an artist.
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In my earliest years she worked with graphite, colored pencil & paper. Inspired by the wild, I loved to draw and study the animals of our great American landscape. I spent countless hours of my childhood, sprawled out on the funky orange carpet of my grandparents home office, flipping through all of their Wildlife Fact File binders. Do you remember those?
Throughout high school, my interest started to shift from the classical arts to photography–maybe it was all of those images I saw in the binders? I began to feel an urge to document my own wild experiences and as I grew into backpacking & exploring and aspired to be a photographer for National Geographic.
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At this point, I decided it was time to start my scholastic career.
Scholastic Career
I began my studies with Washtenaw Community College where I pushed my interest in photography to the next level. I studied camera operation & function, studio & darkroom. I even had the opportunity to work in the Photolab, where I learned how to clean and maintain cameras, lenses & tripods.
From there, I studied Outdoor Leadership while continuing my studies in Photography at Northern Arizona University. I began to document my outdoor experiences, including a 6-day excursion in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I have captured striking images of our National Parks, epic trails, landmarks, wildlife refuges & preserves.
Several years later, I moved back home to study at the University of Michigan where I began exploring graphic design through their Art & Design program. I learned about color theory, composition, typography and how to navigate a variety of design software, including Adobe InDesign, Illustrator & Rhinoceros 6.
It wasn't long before I knew I wanted to carry my creativity & expertise into the community. With the opening of Wildwood Creatives, I aim to help small businesses & non-profits build & refine their brands through the extraordinary world of design.