Connect
To Top

Meet Jessica Moore of Simple and Sylvan

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Moore.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a graphic designer by training, and my professional work was in corporate environments. In January 2015, I was working in a law firm as a graphic designer and knew a lay-off was coming.

Valentines Day 2015, I saw a job description for a camp counselor for the Girl Scouts. The partner I was with at the time encouraged me to apply, in fact, he said, “Dooo it.” Without his support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it, and no one could have predicted just how pivotal eight weeks in the forest would actually be.

I was the camp photographer, tucked in 880 acres in Pike National Forest.

Schedules take on a different light when you immerse into a new routine, new landscape, and new people. You get to know yourself again. Time slowed down.

One hundred-or-so girls ages 8-17 showed up each week for activities ranging from canoeing, barnyard fun, zip lining, rock climbing, and arts & crafts. It was my job to show up and capture their excitement. After years of managing design solutions and interacting with C-level execs and mitigating their thoughts on design, to simply engage in the joy of camp was refreshing.

Between going from activity to activity, I hiked. Camp was 880 acres at an elevation of 8300 feet. I woke up to bright blue skies, ponderosa pines and mountains interrupting the horizon line. The colors were amazing. The sun would set, and the mountains turned into layers of aubergine with an orange-pink sky. Dusk would come and the stars would come out, spanning a sapphire colored sky. This was the inspiration I used for my current body of work and launching my business, Simple and Sylvan.

For a year and a half after camp, I worked a part-time position, taught adjunct design classes, refined and created my designs for my pieces, while living in my rented home in Denver.

The beginning of 2017 got the wheels turning about jumping to the alternative living space, knowing the lease was coming up for renewal.

By mid-April, I had a deposit down on Sylvia (my 26-foot travel trailer) and had traded in my Santa Fe for an F-150.

She was parked outside my house for two weeks, and moving was part adding items to the trailer and trips to my storage unit.

I stayed close to the Denver area for just over a year, I kept my part-time position and was close to the conveniences with I was familiar. I could pop to mountain towns for weekend shows, then roll back during the week for work and meetings.

It’s now been two years since I have been on the road, “rolling” from location to location, making new pieces between weekend art shows in the mountains.

The bottom line: I am happy. I am making it work, and I love my life. The time I spend with friends and family is so much sweeter. I get to experience new places, and I am making my art.

Along with making, I am teaching Design and Art Fundamentals online and taking one day at a time. Recently, to both avoid frozen pipes in the trailer for the winter and to explore a new landscape while volunteering with the National Parks Service, I was a Volunteer for the Parks (VIP), at Fort Bowie National Historic Site in Southeast Arizona.

I am making, exploring and being content in places that inspire me. To me, that’s what happiness looks like.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It wouldn’t be worth it if it was a smooth road!

Some of the struggles have been weathering layoffs during my design career, figuring out how to back up a trailer (yes, I backed into a boulder my first season), water is a constant worry for several reasons, and then there’s the black tank!

I also struggled with transitioning from working as an in-house designer to business ownership. Typical of art education, I was not given tools for business ownership in either undergrad or grad classes and enrolled in the Business Launch Boot Camp from RMMFI.

I have found that so many people are willing to help, be it with critiques, brainstorming or cheerleading.

I love working for myself and putting my efforts into my business and not someone else’s. The hurdles are worth it.

Please tell us more about your artwork, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My works bridge digital and analog while using new technology to construct wood mountain scenes.
I design scenes with multiple layers of laser-cut wood stained in hues reflecting nature; finished layers are sewn together creating a dimensional landscape. Found objects are stitched to certain pieces.

I show regularly at fine art and craft fairs in the Denver area, Colorado mountain towns, and sometimes venture to surround states. Last year I went up to Montana and Wyoming, and this summer I’ll be venturing back to Yellowstone.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I still have significant ties to the graphic design community in Denver despite moving to an arts business. I loved attending graduation ceremonies for my students when I was an affiliate and visiting professor at Metro State University. I have served as president of AIGA Colorado and love celebrating our community members. Recently I was honored to present the AIGA Fellows award to Lisa Abendroth for her contributions to our community.

On the art side, I am thrilled with every piece that goes home with a customer, it means so much to have people love my pieces as much as I do.

Pricing:

  • Prices range from $12-475

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Portrait – Delaware North, All others, Jess Moore

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in