Jessie Rasche is a professional artist who paints in her Brookings home studio, and out on dusty farm roads. 

Growing up in Seattle as the only child of an artist, Jessie got a lot of encouragement for her creative endeavors, and studied Fine Art at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. 

Even so, a career path as an artist wasn’t clear and Jessie went back to school in Psychology and general sciences before a short career in social work, and then as an illustrator and media developer.

16 years ago, with family encouragement, Jessie followed her dreams of becoming a professional artist, and began selling her small paintings online and through galleries.

My favorite shoes are hiking boots.

For years I've explored the wildernesses of the Southwest, hiking, backpacking, hang gliding and mountain biking - interacting with our wild places up close and in person. This has profoundly influenced my work.  I believe we are incomplete without a connection to, and appreciation of, the natural world, and that we should cherish and protect it. 

Ms Koerber spent many years in the commercial illustration world and has recently turned to creating fine art paintings and winning awards for her work.

Bethany Stephan is an American painter born in Hawaii and now living in Arizona. She creates landscapes and figurative paintings, working in oil on panels.