Since Jessica Lange was a child, she liked creating art – drawing, painting, coloring, etc. She didn’t think much of her desire for art because most children enjoy being crafty, she said. She only began to consider herself an artist about seven years ago.

“Only when I really decided that I wanted to create beauty and started learning how, did I consider myself an artist,” she said.

Later in life, she realized that she had talent and not just an interest in art, and decided to make it her major, hoping to make it part of her career.

“It just felt right,” she said, referring to the sense of freedom that she gets when she is creative.

“It allows me to create my own space and my own world, not confined by anything but the limits that I set on myself,” Lange said. She prefers an environment where she is encouraged to “think outside of the box,” but also allows her to look to the past for guidance.

Influenced by Japanese-style art and anime, as well as traditional American-style art, Lange said her blended style of art makes her unique.

Figurative art being her favorite, Lange lists live models as an inspiration to her artwork.

“Modeling is always an inspiration for me.  They create living art,” she said.

Lange said she enjoys seeing photographs of models to create her own artistic drawings.

“I like to draw upon these photographs as a reference for my own characters because the models always employ dynamic angles and lighting in their work.”

She is inspired when an artist uses a figure and puts much work and detail into it, making it unique to them.

She is also fond of making her artwork appear genuine.

“I’m also a big fan of the old masters like Leonardo DaVinci, so I also like to make my figures as natural as possible,” she said.

But it doesn’t matter what time period an artist is from, Lange finds inspiration in artists from all eras.

One personal reminder that this art major lives by is “if you don’t enjoy your own work, then nobody else will either.”

Lange plans to take her enjoyment for drawing and her degree in art and French to make a name for herself.

“I’m going to freelance for publishing companies,” she said. She hopes to create cover illustrations for businesses keen on her work.

Lange hopes to eventually create conceptual art for video games and movies.

She advises individuals who may be discouraged by their work to start simply.

“For all of those who argue that they can’t draw anything, remember this:  all art begins with a simple idea.  I start my figurative drawings with a simple stick figure.  It is your ideas that bring whatever it is you want to create to life.”