I love the ordinary and the not so ordinary and New York City couldn't be a more perfect setting for that. I am interested in doing illustrations of people caught up in their day to day routines as well as the faces and bodies of people doing what they are passionate about like dancing, singing or playing instruments. I love drawing people where they look as if they have that ‘in the moment' feeling of just being by themselves even though they might be surrounded by crowds of others. I love to draw dancers and musicians to capture that feeling and moment where a person is completely lost in their art.

I have a degree in Illustration and Art & Design Education from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and also have my NYS K-12 Visual Arts Teaching certification. I have taken masters level intensive drawing classes with the Dalvero Academy over the years and have experience with creating on location reportage drawings all over New York City and wherever I travel.

I have worked at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City as a Studio Art Workshop Educator and Youth Educator since 2012 and also teach private art classes to people of all ages. In addition to working at the Guggenheim Museum, I have been teaching art in all sorts of settings and with all different abilities and ages since 1999.

I am also always interested in combining teaching and illustrating through my love of children's book illustration and I look forward to working on children’s book projects. Teaching and being the parent of an 11 year old daughter have kept me constantly immersed in looking at the world through the eyes of a child which I feel is very helpful when creating illustrations for children.

Please contact me at jmessina.nozawa@gmail.com if you are interested in my illustration work and would like to discuss any potential projects or are interested in learning more about scheduling private art lessons and museum art tours throughout New York City.

UPDATE: I am now also offering art lessons digitally. Please see my ‘in home art classes’ page for more info.

Thanks so much! I am looking forward to working with you!

Jodi