Jacqueline Whalen rivest

As a child, I was captivated by paint-with-water books. Those magical pages where just a touch of water could awaken hidden colors. Watching pigment bloom and drift across paper sparked an early fascination with creativity and color. Years later, I’ve returned to that same quiet joy and sense of calm through my art practice.

I work in a range of mediums, including watercolor, acrylic paint, colored pencils, charcoal, oil pastels, clay and digital tools like Photoshop. I weave with polyester yarns on both tabletop and floor looms, and I’ve recently begun experimenting with 3D textile art using felt and a sewing machine. Whether I’m holding a brush, a loom shuttle, or a needle, each tool becomes part of a conversation between hand, material, and emotion.

As a recovering teacher and forever artist, I’ve found that making art is not just an act of creation, it’s a form of healing. Art has been a constant in my journey with mental health. While I often seek control as a way to feel safe, art reminds me to surrender to the process. Each medium has its own voice, its own rhythm, and learning to listen is like dancing with your materials. The process is sometimes clumsy, sometimes graceful, but always honest.

The best results come when I don’t force my work. I wait for the flow. The relaxed, focused state where art just happens. That is where I find peace. And in that peace, color, shape, texture, and movement come together to express what words often can’t. For me, creating art isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence.