Who is Alex Jacobson? Since graduating high school in Columbia, Missouri in 2010, I have gone by the nickname “Pepper Jack,” a name that originated from a Halloween costume I wore in 2008. Pepper Jack became something of an alter ego during a period of exploration and adventure in my life. It was the name people knew while I worked in restaurants in Gunnison, Colorado, guided rafts through Dinosaur National Monument, and worked music festivals throughout Colorado and California. When people close to me hear my real name today, the reaction is often the same: “Who the hell is Alex Jacobson?”

Over the years, that question has taken on a different meaning as my life and work have evolved. After completing my undergraduate studies in art and outdoor recreation education, I eventually returned to school and earned my Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. I am now a Certified Social Worker (CSW) working at a residential treatment center for adults struggling with mental health challenges. My work in the clinical field centers on helping individuals navigate complex emotional experiences, trauma, and recovery—work that often parallels the introspective process that has always existed in my art.

The Work

Creating art has always been a constant in my life. As a child, my mother would place markers and paper in front of me and my sister as a way to fill time and encourage creativity. As I grew older, art classes became a welcome relief from the pressures of other academic work. Eventually, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting with an emphasis in watercolor, further developing my craft and artistic voice.

After completing my undergraduate degree, my practice shifted toward mixed media painting. I began experimenting with latex house paint, wood stain, spray paint, oil paint, solvents, and resin to build layered compositions. Much of my work is created alla prima, allowing materials to interact spontaneously and produce the textures and visual complexity present in the finished pieces.

My creative process often begins without a predetermined plan. I start by building abstract backgrounds and allowing the paint itself to guide the direction of the work through pareidolia—the tendency for perception to impose meaning onto ambiguous stimuli. In this way, figures, forms, and narratives emerge from the chaos of color and texture. Once the subject reveals itself, I move forward by rendering it more deliberately with oil paint.

Some pieces are created on stretched canvas, while others are painted on masonite panels and finished beneath layers of resin. The resin works are experimental and may not be fully archival, though the resin I use is yellowing-resistant and designed to withstand the passage of time. My hope is that incorporating resin will extend the lifespan of these paintings—preserving them much like a creature suspended in amber.

This body of work was created while I was struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse and portrays the undercurrents of depression and aimlessness I felt during those years. I use creatures and objects that hold significance in my life to tell a story of the viewer's interpretation. After five years in recovery, my work has begun to take on a new and lighter color palette as I continue to work towards knowing myself and reflecting on my life's purpose.

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