People of PATTERN: Jessica Winchell

What do your friends call you? Most friends who’ve met me after my school years tend to go with the basic, Jess or Jessica, which is totally cool with me. Friends that I grew up with came up with the names J. Dub, J. Win, Bop…sigh!

How old are you (if you don’t mind me asking!)? I’m 28, but I feel like a big kid at heart.  I think the key to wholehearted living is keeping your passionate childhood spirit alive every day.

Where are you from? A small southwestern Indiana community called Christmas Lake Village located within Santa Claus, IN.  Santa Claus is known for its Christmas theme; however, my parents rebelled against the Christmas theme and chose to keep our home filled with tropical beach house vibes; excluding Christmas time of course.

Which neighborhood do you live in right now? I live near the Broad Ripple, Kessler Meridian area. I am a mobile, on-site makeup artist so I chose this area because it usually keeps my travel time to and from work under 30 minutes anywhere I go in Indianapolis. The large trees and outdoor activities nearby are a bonus!

What do you do for a living? I’m a freelance professional makeup artist. I studied production makeup artistry at Cosmix School of Makeup Artistry in Fort Lauderdale, FL. From there, I moved back to Indianapolis and have been operating J. Marie Professional Makeup Artistry for the past 9 years doing makeup for weddings, special events, fashion shows, music videos, media production, film and TV, special FX and body painting. If it has to do with makeup, I have probably done it!

What do you do as a creative outlet? My profession in and of itself is a great creative outlet. When I’m doing makeup, the person in my chair is my human canvas. Beyond that, I express my creative energy through repurposing random things, cooking, interior design, coming up with innovative solutions, working with and growing plants, health and wellness, and taking care of my cat and dog. As unusual as it may sound, most aspects of life allow my creativity to flow.

What’s the most interesting thing happening in Indy right now? Don’t sleep on Indy’s fun outdoor adventuring spots!  I have lived here almost a decade and am continuously surprised with the growing number of gorgeous parks and trails. Outdoor activities such as Koteewi Aerial Adventure Treetop Trails and Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course can provide a thrill for adrenaline junkies.  There are over 20 and counting disc golf courses that can make a classic walk with your dog way more fun! There are so many hidden gems here that allow you to immerse yourself in nature; and I always seem to meet some of Indy’s most interesting people along the way.

Favorite local brewery, distillery or winery? (Or if not a drinker, then favorite eatery.) I’m known for often saying a lot of things are my favorite but for now, I’m really digging Core Life Eatery located on 82nd street. Finding a place passionate about powering active lifestyles and improving the health in our community through whole, clean food made it easy to join the mission. I recommend the chicken and rice noodle bone broth bowl with a beet lemonade!

Last trip you took? I took a 5 day trip to Las Vegas in February and I cannot wait to go back!  Vegas is a dream for a creative person. Talk about inspiration everywhere. The city is a work of art!

How did you first hear about PATTERN? Just before I finished makeup school and moved to Indianapolis, I had a teacher tell me 1-3 students in my class were going to succeed at making this a full-time job. This lit a fire underneath me. I spent many sleepless nights sending out emails to anyone in the industry who worked with makeup artists. It was probably sometime in the middle of the night about 9 years ago I read about Pattern and discovered they were a pivotal creative movement in Indianapolis.

What event are you looking forward to attending in the next couple of months? I’ll have little time to attend events between gigs this month, as I’m also working hard in fine tuning J. Marie Professional Makeup Artistry’s marketing approach and business strategy.  I am however very much looking forward to attending the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. It is a major family and friend tradition; I haven’t missed a race since 1997.  It’s also a fun perk to be part of the glam squad for some of the driver’s media and production events leading up to the race!

Keep up with Jess on Insta.

One reply on “People of PATTERN: Jessica Winchell”
  1. Avatarsays: Gail

    Jessica you are an accomplished artist in your industry. You are admired by many. Congratulations on your success.

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