Ink on Bristol Board

Jessi Koch lives in South Dakota and has been drawing since she could wield a pencil. In the spring of 2014, she attained a degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and plans to use the knowledge gained there to produce portraiture and other illustrative art. Some of her charcoal portraits are featured in the gallery, but she also makes still life paintings for fun. Since she is absolutely a kid at heart, she teaches Kid’s Studio classes at Yankton Area Arts where the kiddos can learn about famous artists and the fundamentals of art. In addition, she offers private art lessons for kids of all ages (7+). It all boils down to the fact that she likes to help people; helping people realize that they can create cool art that they can be proud of, helping beautify and benefit her community, and helping people give a personal, hand-crafted gift to someone they love.
Jessi is a member of several art organizations including: Portrait Society of America, Connecting Artists (President), Yankton Area Arts, Freelancers Union, The Illustrators’ Union, South Dakotans for the Arts, and the National Association of Professional Women.