About Jessie
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I paint because I was raised surrounded by a creative and arty family who always supported my artistic talent and ambition.
I chose encaustics for its ancient roots and the compelling tension between heating and cooling amongst chaos and control - a rhythm unlike any other medium. The process of encaustic demands both a confident hand and one that can embrace the spontaneity of the wax's natural flow. My work, and my life, reflect this dance between structure and unpredictability.
My drive is to make art, teach workshops, protect the pollinators, and help support a vibrant art community in Central WI.
About Jessie Fritsch
Founder of Buzz in Art Studios
My love for beeswax painting began during my first year of college, when I discovered The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt by Euphrosyne Doxiadis. Captivated by the luminous beauty and rich history of this ancient technique, I’ve spent the past 21 years dedicated to working with beeswax as my primary medium.
In 2004, I received a research grant from UW-Stevens Point to explore encaustic painting, teaching myself how to work with molten, pigmented beeswax. I earned my BFA in Studio Art with a painting emphasis in 2006. When graduate school didn’t pan out, I pivoted - exhibiting at art festivals across the Midwest, where I continue to share my work.
I began teaching encaustic workshops in 2019 and opened Buzz in Art Studios in rural Arnott, Wisconsin, in 2022. Each month, I host small-group encaustic workshops, private lessons, and custom sessions - sharing this ancient and luminous medium with curious creatives of all backgrounds.
I’m also active in arts leadership: I’ve served as Director of the Stevens Point Festival of the Arts since 2015, have been on the Hidden Studios Art Tour steering committee since 2019, and am a member of the Gallery Q Artists Cooperative (2018–2020, rejoined in 2023).
My personal art studio is located in Stevens Point, WI. My teaching space is located in Arnott.
My personal studio is not open to the public. My teaching space, Buzz in Art Studios in Arnott, is open to the public by appointment only or can be seen during the Hidden Studios Art Tour Oct 3-5th, 2025.
