I was lucky enough to interview one of my all-time favorite artists, the incredibly talented, Jessica Brilli. Her work has been such an inspiration to me, and I was thrilled when she agreed to do this Q&A. It’s a funny thing to follow someone on social media for years and then get to sit down with them for a chat. I was a bit starstruck!

So here we go! 21 Questions with Jessica Brilli…

1. Where’s your favorite place to visit?

Not surprisingly, I love visiting places with beaches and pools. One of my favorite places is Tuscany. 

2.  What is one rule you have that you never break?

Always wear my seatbelt. 

3.    When did you start painting? Art school or self taught?

I took art classes at a place called Gail Harpers Art Studio and that was the first time I used oil paints. The first painting I did was an apple, a lemon, and an orange—it hung in my grandma’s kitchen until she passed away in 2015, now it’s in my parent’s kitchen.

As far as school goes, I studied studio art and painting at the University of Rhode Island.

4.    Favorite book?

I don’t really have favorites—so many amazing books out there.

I read this really interesting book called Dead Mountain—about these Russian teenagers who were hiking/camping and they all mysteriously ended up dead. Recently scientists figured out it was an Avalanche that killed them. I just started reading Little Children, and I’m enjoying that a lot.

5.   What makes you laugh the most?

My friends, husband, family, cats, SNL, Portlandia…stuff like that.

6.   If you could hire someone to help you, what would you have them do?

I have an assistant who preps canvases for me. I don’t mind doing it myself, but it takes up a lot of my time, and my time is best spent painting.

7. What posters did you have on your walls as a kid/teenager?

The Beatles, Morrissey, Edward Hopper scenes. I had a thing for lighthouses. 

8.    What’s the best piece of advice you can give to an artist just starting out?

Keep doing your work and sharing it…just get it out there and show it to people. Years ago, I emailed the Jealous Curator. I sent her an email with some of my older paintings and was just like, what do you think? Are you jealous? And she wrote back and said, I totally am!…I want to share this on Monday! That ended up being a really great opportunity for me.

9.    What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

I went to Action Park. Lol (Please click on the link…you won’t regret it. -DB)

10.    Who would you want to play you in a movie?

A while back my sister-in-law told me I look a bit like Rashida Jones, so I’d choose her. 

 11.    Do you collect anything?

 I’m not as into collecting things as I was when I was younger…I don’t like a lot of clutter. One of the things I collect now are vintage tape measures. They’re all over my studio and are really useful. They’re great to keep in your purse or in your pocket…if you’re shopping for furniture or something. I like to give them to my friends too. 

12.    Who’s the most famous person you’ve met/know?

I met Hilary Clinton a few years ago. I designed an invitation for an event at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, where she was the honoree, and after the event she told me how much she liked the invitation, and in the process, made me feel like a million dollars.

13.   If you had a warning label, what would it say?

Don’t talk shit about Billy Joel. Seriously. hahaha

Ok, Jessica, don’t be jelly but I have to tell you that I’ve met Billy Joel...and Christie Brinkley. We were in line at a little movie theatre in Montauk, waiting to see Robin Hood, that's how long ago it was, and he and Christie were in line behind us. He knows my uncle (Montauk’s a small town) and they started chatting. I watched him in awe.

ALSO, in the early 80’s, my aunt was walking down Main St. MTK when Billy pulled up, chatted with her a little, and asked her to lunch. She was flattered but declined. Uptown Girl came out just after that and my aunt was CONVINCED that she was the inspiration for that song, even though Christie is in the video haha . That story is legendary in our family! -DB

14.   What was your first job?

I bussed tables at a restaurant in Sayville, where I grew up.

 15.   What is one thing you will never do again?

Ride on a motorcycle with three people. 

16. What’s one of your pet peeves? 

People being rude while driving. People who don’t let you merge in for no other reason than they don’t want to let you in.

17.  Who are three of your favorite artists?

I always like to name artists that I know rather than some famous artist that everyone knows. I’m really a big fan of Christopher Burk. He does a lot of street scenes like houses, a lot of night scenes. He did a series of flood images that were really gorgeous.

Lena Wolff in the San Francisco area. I love her work; I have a couple of her pieces.

There’s a guy in England named Mark Dyball and his paintings are fabulous. I love them. There are so many artists that I love but just off the top of my head those are the three that I’m into.

18.  What’s the worst job you ever had?

I worked in a vitamin factory for a week the summer after my freshman year of college. My mom worked for the company, and got me the job. I was on a factory floor putting pills in bottles and I was kind of depressed to begin with, and it was not a good place for me at the time. One day I was just like, mom, I can’t do this, I’m leaving. 

I was also a telemarketer for Publisher’s Clearing House. That might be one of the worst jobs I’ve had. I worked there with a couple of friends and we would get in trouble all the time. We would make each other laugh while we were on calls. One time I called someone named Virginia Hamm, and we could not stop laughing. 

19.  Best purchase this year?

I just bought a new Kilim rug. It’s coming from Turkey…nice, bright colors.

20.  What advice would you give your younger self? 

You’re on the right path. Stay the course.

"Progress will come in fits and starts. It's not always a straight line. It's not always a smooth path."

-Barack Obama

21.  What are you most excited about right now?

I just booked a trip to Turks and Caicos. Can’t wait!

Thanks so much Jessica for taking the time to talk to me and for sharing a little bit about yourself. You can find out more about Jessica, her work, and upcoming events on her website. Make sure to follow her on instagram!

And thank YOU for being a supporter of the arts!

xo -Danielle