Portrait artist working in bold, luminous color

I’m Jessa Lamoureux, a contemporary portrait artist working at the intersection of identity, presence, and psychological aftermath. My work moves between figurative painting, animal portraiture, and intimate works on paper, shaped by restraint, focus, and the quiet weight of what lingers after a moment has passed.

My work centers on tension, resilience, and the moments people typically hold in. I’m drawn to portraits that feel suspended between states — the inhale before an exhale, the flicker of honesty before the mask is straightened.

Much of my practice is rooted in observation: posture, stillness and the way light reveals what emotion tries to hide. I work primarily in acrylic and oil, building portraits from layered temperature shifts and sculpted light rather than traditional skin tones.

I live and work in Southern California, balancing my studio practice with family life and a small, stubborn garden that keeps me honest.

My paintings are collected for their emotional charge, narrative ambiguity, and bold chromatic language — portraits designed to be felt before they’re fully understood.