About Jessica
About Jessica
Welcome to my studio—a place shaped by memory, faith, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
I’m Jessica Puma, a painter based in Philadelphia, PA. My work grows out of lived experience: the places I’ve walked, the people I’ve loved, and the stories that continue to form me. Painting is both a discipline and a devotional practice—each work a gesture of attention, care, and reverence. Whether I am painting flowers held in remembrance or responding to the enduring architecture of European cities, the work is guided by a belief in presence and meaning beyond what is immediately seen.
I work primarily in oil and mixed media, building thick, tactile surfaces through impasto and layered mark-making. Moving between observation and abstraction, I use color, texture, and structure to hold emotional and spiritual weight. Travel to Paris and Rome has deeply shaped my palette and sense of form; light, atmosphere, and architectural rhythm continue to inform how I think through paint. I am especially drawn to the expressive power of surface—how a single mark can carry grief, joy, or quiet devotion.
My home is both sanctuary and studio—a place of making, reflection, and remembrance. It is also where I honor family legacy and faith as living forces. Through my work, I connect with collectors who value emotional honesty, spiritual depth, and a contemplative approach to painting.
Consolation flowers in the studio
Featured In
Jessica's work has been featured in the following places and publications
Publications/Reviews
2024
Catholic Artist Connection, Issue #443.
https://catholicartistconnection.com/blog/jessica-puma
Multiple Sclerosis Association of American, Jessica Puma
https://mymsaa.org/artshowcase2025/jessica-puma-melchiorre/
2020
NJ PBS, “NJ TV Learning Live.” Aired April 20, 2020.
https://www.njpbs.org/programs/njtv-learning-live/one-point-perspective-jessica-melchiorre-fifth-grade-c3phez/
2013
Colin Kerrigan, Philly.com. “Open House; Bonnie and Paul in Pennsport,” http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/home_and_design/Open-House-Bonnie-and-Paul.html
2009
Liz Abrams-Morley, Necessary Turns, Word Press.
2008
Strauss, Robert. “A Unique Take on City
Scapes” Chadds Ford Post, March 20-26
2007
Naomi Beckwith & Lilianna Milkova. “On Memory, Sites, Migrations and Maps” from Points of Departure: Inner and Outer Journeys in Contemporary Art, Univ. of Pennsylvania
2006
Niv, Sharon. “Art Smart,” The Qbix Gallery Fine Arts
Magazine, Issue Three, Volume 1, Winter
2005
Libby Rosoff & Roberta Fallon. “Paris by Puma –Nice View,” The Artblog, August 25
New American Paintings, 57th Edition, April