Time Flies When You Do What You Love :)

So recently I took a breath in between post-Artist Project and pre-One of a Kind chaos, and realized that this May marks the 15th anniversary of the start of my business.. !!
At first I was shocked (surely I'm far to young to have a 15-year-old business! Haha), but when that passed I felt mostly two things: proud of how far I've come in those 15 years, and super-excited about what the next 15 or so will hold!

When I first started my business, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. No clue that I was signing up to work pretty much 7-day weeks, almost every week of every year. No concept of what it's like to get pneumonia and not have a drug plan or paid sick days, and have nobody who could do my job while I was recovering. I now know all of this, and wouldn't change a thing :)

15 years ago, I actually had a full-time job as well as a business. This was back in the days of film and darkrooms, and not being able to "fix it later" in Photoshop. I learned a lot from the people I worked with, and most importantly learned that I didn't want to work for a big company. Which is a great thing to know, because it's made me never regret how hard I've had to work since going out on my own :)

I haven't gotten rich in money, but can't even begin to count the riches in other parts of my life.. I've had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places, I've worked with such an amazing and talented group of people, and I've been able to chase my dreams and inspirations where they have led me. I'm filled with so much gratitude that I've been able to do what I love over these past 15 years.

This actually feels like a much bigger milestone than any birthday I've ever had - after all, birthdays come whether you actively pursue them or not ;) So to celebrate, and to spread some of this excitement around to the people who've made it possible, I've decided to spend the next 15 months giving little perks and bonuses to my clients! One a month will bring us right through my 15th year, with the final month being May of 2016.

The first one is immediate: I'll be exhibiting at the Spring One of a Kind Show in Toronto a week from now, and anyone who stops by my booth to say "Happy Anniversary" will get 15% off anything in my booth :) This will be my first time doing the One of a Kind show as an exhibitor, and I'm really excited to branch out into this fantastic community! The show runs March 25th-29th at the Direct Energy Centre (at the CNE), and I'm in booth M19 - hope to see you there :) I'll be sharing some work in progress pictures over the next few days on instagram, facebook, and twitter if you like the "behind the scenes" type of stuff. *use this link to save $3 off regular admission to the show!

As for the rest of the perks, I'll be sharing that information every month on facebook and twitter, so be sure to follow! I also have an email list that you can sign up for - here's the link for the Fine Art news and updates, and here's where I'll announce any specials for couples or family portraits.

A HUGE "Thank You!" to everyone I've worked with over the past decade and a half - many of you have trusted me with the most precious moments and memories of your lives, or the promoting of your own small business dreams, and many others now have my whimsical depictions of far-away places hung on your walls.. all of you hold a special place in my heart for the role you have played in allowing me to live my dream :) I look forward to seeing you sometime soon!

xo Jessica

5 Awesome Reasons to go to the Spring One of a Kind this weekend in Toronto

As you may know, I never miss the One of a Kind show at Christmas, and I especially love the Spring show :) Why? Because most years it's the first sign of Spring we see, and what better way to celebrate all those little buds on the trees and the tulips starting to pop up than to spend a day surrounded by all the beautiful colours, textures and designs at the One of a Kind show!

Here's a little sneak peek of some of the very talented designers I've been working with recently, who can all be found at the OOAK show this weekend (show runs March 28-April 1 this year, for hours and directions check here)...

Melanie LeBlanc (booth i37) - Melanie grew up on a little island "up north", and her love of rugged natural beauty can be seen in all her unique pieces of jewellery - this is Melanie's first time at the One of a Kind so we hope she has a fantastic time!

Tiny Modernist (booth J23) - designer Cheryl McKinnon uses such amazing fabrics for all her adorable and chic little girls' dresses - this is one of my favourites in her award-winning Overall Dress..

Erin Tracy Designs (booth G9) - Erin will be unveiling her new "Navajo" collection at the Spring show - I love the way these feathers flutter as you move! (I realize this is hard to see in a still picture, so just go get some and see for yourself!)

Mena Dragonfly (booth G21) - ceramic artist Melanie Mena creates a line of clean and simple pieces in the most amazingly perfect shapes. She and her partner have just moved to Prince Edward County where they have bought a B&B, and look forward to serving up many a tasty breakfast on these yummy dishes!

 Jenny Greco (booth L43) - Jenny uses the most exotic nuts and seeds I've ever heard of to create her bold and colourful jewellery - this one has a tagua nut - you have to hold them in your hands to really see  the amazing textures (better yet, try one on!)

I'm so proud to work with all of these lovely and talented designers and look forward to seeing them at the show today :)  If you're in Toronto this weekend, make sure you come check it out too!

{and if you're a designer looking for an awesome photographer/new friend, email me now and we'll get together for tea and a chat about your work!}

Erin Tracy Designs - Custom Jewellery and Gorgeous Collections

I've been working with Erin Tracy for many years now, and I think her work is fantastic... what first attracted me to her booth at the One of a Kind show was her combination of silver and gold with natural materials such as delicate little pebbles and pieces of wood (I bought a necklace from her "Garden-Path" Collection almost 10 years ago and I still love it!). Over the years, I have seen many of Erin's other collections grow from inspirations as diverse as nature  (such as Reef and Fira), unique materials like concrete (in Pave), and a love of travel and other cultures (East, Luxe, Plume).


Erin also does a lot of custom work for clients, mostly engagement and wedding rings, where she sits down and gets to know the ideas and tastes of her clients and then designs something specific to their desires. Almost anything is possible from what I've seen :)


Here are a few of my favourite pieces from our most recent shoot..

Also, Erin has recently moved into a great new studio space in Liberty Village:

A cosy spot for meeting with clients..

technical tools..

and a nice, clean display area..

So - you can find Erin and her lovely work at the One of a Kind Show (starting tomorrow!) in booth G-07, or you can contact her directly to inquire about custom work or to schedule an appointment to see her at her studio. Check out her website for lots more of her work. Support local talent!

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - for more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see this page of my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)

Jenny Greco Jewellery Photo Shoot

As the Spring One of a Kind Show approaches here in Toronto, many of my clients have new lines or pieces that they want photographed. This was my first time working with Jenny Greco, so we shot almost her entire collection (!) of fantastic chunky and richly coloured jewellery. Jenny uses a lot of natural elements like wood and seeds in her work, which I love, and she was also a complete pleasure to work with, which I really love :)


Here are some of my favourite shots from our collaboration:

these black "stones" are actually lava!!

Jenny uses all different kinds of wood to make her chunky rings; this leopard-looking one was my favourite!

this bracelet from Jenny's "Totem" collection is made with ebony and silver - a really nice contrast :)

I can't wait to see Jenny's website once all the new images are up!

All of this and more will be available at Jenny's booth at the One of a Kind Show (you can find her at booth P-24), and she also has a lovely new studio space in the Distillery District, in the Case Goods  building - check her out and support local talent!

For more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)