Downingtown’s Jill Pearson is a Mixed-Media Triumphant

Image via Jill Pearson Art.

After picking up her paint brush again, Downingtown artist Jill Pearson is winning awards in the art scene.

As a professional illustrator with a fine arts degree from the University of the Arts, Jill Pearson worked as a freelance Photoshop artist, writes Ben Silver for Main Line Today. 

Although her freelance work paid the bills, Pearson craved more. In 2021, she again found her love of painting, something she enjoyed in her youth. In 2024, she took first place in the mixed media category at the Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show. 

Pearson’s Photoshop background gives her art a different feel, as most classically trained artists don’t have an in-depth background in digital art. Pearson creates her mixed media with acrylic paint, drawing media, and collages. It’s a style unique to Pearson, shifting between abstract and landscape. 

“I start off completely intuitively and I build layers, and I remove layers,” Pearson said. “I’ll use an orbital sander and sand through stuff to make textures.”

Pearson has had her art sold at the Wayne Art Center, Historic Yellow Springs, the Malvern Retreat House Art Show, and now, the Lititz Fine Art Show, where she took home first place. 

“I’m hoping to use this to branch out to some better galleries in the area. It’s only been three years since I started painting again, so I think I have a lot more up my sleeve in terms of what I want to accomplish,” Pearson said. 

Pearson hopes to apply to Long’s Park Art Festival in Lancaster next year. 

Read more about Jill Pearson’s art journey and her creative process at Main Line Today. 

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