Jessica Joy Jirsa paints urban landscapes from the Mission and San Francisco. She gets to know people who live in the areas she paints because they see her on their way to and from home.
“I started this on Tuesday and came back today. I was daring it to rain!” Despite the cold when she started the painting, the colors in her painting are warm, fitting for the hot day the photo was taken. “It’s always how the Mission makes me feel. Today definitely feels more orange and bright.”
So, does she live in San Francisco?
“I would love to live here, but I’m an artist,” she explains. But she knows lots of people in the neighborhood – she’s around for hours at a time, when residents are on their way to and from their homes.
“I’m here for five or six hours at a time, so they’re the ones who notice me because I’m still here when they get back.”