Inspired by nature, Jessica Semenoff’s love for painting started in childhood.
As a marketing major with an art minor, she hoped to blend business with her talent for creativity.
However, after art took centre stage in her work, she decided to revisit her true passion and pursue a full-time career as an artist.
Artistic roots
From an outdoorsy household in the Kootenays, Semenoff grew up skiing, hiking and drawing, with encouragement from her mom, a professional artist.
“I grew up around nature, which was really inspiring, and I think that’s how I progressed to the subject matter I create today,” she says.
In high school, she turned the walls of her art room into a vibrant scenescape, painting colourful trees in her old style – single lines that curled out into different directions.
PHOTO: ANDREA PADOR
“That was technically my first mural, which I had forgotten about until a couple years ago. I was like, ‘oh my god, so I painted my first mural in high school and completely forgot about it,’” she says.
After moving to Alberta to pursue an accounting degree at the University of Calgary, Semenoff realized her degree program was not the right fit. She switched to marketing to gratify her creative side.
“That was kind of ideal for me, and I think it was because I didn’t believe I could be a full-time artist,” she says.
Her next mural was at the U of C, where she finger-painted The Starry Night in the basement of Yamnuska Hall. Though she wasn’t paid, she says it started her journey as a muralist.
From then on, she juggled her coursework with painting murals throughout the city and gaining experience from mentorship programs.
After graduating in 2020, Semenoff continued painting while taking on marketing clients as a freelancer.
In late 2023, she made the switch from working in two separate fields to pursuing art full-time.
She earned more from art than marketing, making her feel more comfortable about the switch.
It was a difficult transition because the mural industry was challenging during the winter. However, she was able to build her career over the past year.
“I think I’m definitely headed in an upward trajectory. There’s going to be highs and lows, and that’s just part of life and part of being a full-time artist,” she says.
Nicole Wolf, a fellow artist and friend, says that Semenoff willingly shares her expertise with Calgary’s tight-knit community of artists. With her marketing background, Semenoff advises her peers how to share their work with wider audiences, including people who could help advance their careers.
She believes that being transparent and fostering community within the industry is important.
“She’s very generous with her knowledge, her time and her talent,” says Wolf.
Incorporating environmentalism
Semenoff says she struggled to find her art style for a long time. She travels to different parts of the world to gain inspiration and ventures into nature.
Through her artwork, she wants people to gain an appreciation for the environment. In Alberta, where oil and gas are a big industry, she hopes to educate people about the importance of conservation.
“I think that sets me apart from other artists, within Alberta at least. I do know that other artists obviously focus on nature, but bringing in the environmental aspect is something I strive for,” she says.
Kirsten Sandlin, who attended the Paint Memphis festival with Semenoff in 2023 and 2024, says the muralist’s advocacy for the environment shines through even outside her work.
“When you’re a street artist, you generate, unfortunately, a lot of trash. She has had influence over other artists we’ve worked with to try to eliminate some of that and be more into recycling,” says Sandlin.
In the future, Semenoff hopes to incorporate more themes of environmentalism in her work. She would like to add educational components to her art, including QR codes highlighting the species she paints, and to focus more on ecosystems and their importance in the environment.