Jesse Larson’s home office faces east and receives morning sunlight. The walls are painted seafoam green, her favorite color, and handmade beaded sun catchers catch the light and energize her.
“It’s a dance party in the morning,” she said. “Golden hour in a west-facing room is full of such reflections. That alone makes me happy.”
This space is where she does most of her work as a professional designer and multi-hyphenate artist who has been providing graphic design services to Fargo-Moorhead Choir Artists since 2013.
The senior interior designer at JLG Architects said lending his time and artistic talent to the choir gives him the opportunity to trade in digital canvases for real brushes and palettes.
“This season, I was inspired to create an original watercolor piece for each concert, rather than just sticking to digital pieces like in the past,” Larson said.
She worked closely with FMCA Artistic Director Michael Culloton to come up with images that best represent what the choir wants to offer audiences in 2024-2025.
Culloton said the collaboration with Larson continues to improve the overall experience of attending an FMCA concert.
“Her work at Fargo-Moorhead Coral Artists is as a graphic artist, but I think that title is too narrow. She is an artist,” Culloton said. “The work she has done for us over the years has brought a professional look to all of our materials, and this year we are adding watercolors to all of our posters and program covers. As a painter, I am really excited to feature her work.”
Culloton added that he enjoys seeing how Larson grows as an artist since he has worked with her for a long time.
“Jesse finds ways to develop her own artistry through her work with us. She is a treasure,” he said.
“I think this is the first season where everything really came together with my art. Michael sent me ideas he had for the themes, songs and art for each concert,” she said. said. “Then I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve been dabbling in watercolors. I’ll try something new. ” ”
Larson felt comfortable coming up with an image for the piece that reflected upcoming concerts featuring classical and contemporary music, such as Joni Mitchell and the Beatles.
“I was asked to do something original and big this season. They’re playing the Beatles’ ‘I’ll Follow the Sun,’ so I wanted to do something special for that.” I was very excited about that. ”
When it came time to actually create the art, Larson said: I was able to get into that flow state without forcing myself, so I felt like I didn’t have to try too hard. I was immersed in inspiration. I didn’t feel like I was working. I felt it was just as important to me as it was to the project. ”
The results were breathtaking.
Designer Jesse Larson of Fargo-Moorhead Coral Artists created a watercolor painting depicting FMCA’s 2024-25 season theme. This work will be used as promotional material for the concert “What Goes Around…” featuring songs by Joni Mitchell and other contemporary artists.
Contribution / Jesse Larson
swatch, sun catcher, sun salutation
Larson has only been “playing with watercolor” for five years. She said she was drawn to the practice after spending much of her childhood drawing “surrealistic” horses.
Larson grew up in the Fargo and Hawley, Minnesota, areas, where he developed a love of animals and sketched them. Currently working as an interior designer and furniture designer, she is able to paint realistically almost every day, which makes the freedom of watercolor painting even more dynamic.
“I love the contrast between the very realistic paintings and the very smooth watercolors,” she said. “It’s so fluid that you can just keep changing it over and over again to get where you want to go. I think that’s my favorite medium.”
Larson has worked at JLG Architects since 2020. Previously, he was a furniture designer and marketing manager for other local companies in the area.
“I decided I wanted to take a break from interior design and went to a commercial furniture store for a while,” she said. “It was a very eye-opening experience in my extensive experience. Furniture design is reflected in interior design, and marketing also fits into any type of interior design.”
Much of what she has learned on the job has also been applied to other artistic aspects of her life. “At work, you don’t always get to be creative. There are pockets of it. The number one thing I have to do is be a good listener, take that information, and change the environment from what I hear. It’s about creating,” she said.
In addition to design, marketing and painting, Larson became a certified yoga instructor several years ago and taught restorative classes at MojoFit studio in West Fargo until the 2020 pandemic.
She is also a semi-professional photographer, which she said “helps me capture the essence of the art that is happening in front of me, like my husband playing as a band on stage.”
Jesse Larson is making a suncatcher to honor his dog Baron and raise money for the French Bulldog Rescue Network. She sells suncatchers on her Etsy site.
Contribution / Jesse Larson
Larson is also turning her artistic eye to creating crystal bead suncatchers that she will sell as a charity effort in memory of her dog, Baron, who passed away in 2021.
“When he passed away, I felt called to honor his memory and give back. A small gift to bring joy to someone in your life can be very healing,” Larson said. said. “I started making suncatchers that created wonderful rainbows for the house and rainbow disco. It made me happy.”
Proceeds from the sale of her suncatcher will benefit the French Bulldog Rescue Network. “Baron was French, and every time I hear about a friend who has lost a loved one, I just make it and give it to them,” she said. “Just doing something heartfelt in honor of the Baron brings me joy and is one of my most favorite and fulfilling artistic endeavors.”
FMCA’s 2024-2025 concert series opens with “What Goes Around…” on Oct. 19, and Larson’s watercolors will be a small but important detail in the overall picture of the season. After all, it’s not a watercolor exhibition, but a choir concert.
But, as she said, “Sometimes you don’t realize it because good design is just good and it’s there and you’re inspired in some way. That’s what art is to me. It’s about being in an inspired space and seeing good art. It just improves our lives.”
What: “What Goes Around…” Fargo-Moorhead Choir Artist Fall Concert
Date and time: October 19th at 4pm and October 20th at 2pm
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church, 210 Seventh Street South, Fargo
Information: General admission tickets are $20. $5 student. Event Bright.
This article is part of a content partnership with Arts Partnership, a nonprofit organization that fosters the arts in Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo. For more information, please visit theartspartnership.net.
