Olja in Bloom

Some blooms begin in the quiet act of paying attention. This piece grew from years of educating myself — studying Russian art, immersing myself in its culture, its design, its soul — and slowly recognizing pieces of myself within it. For an adoptee, that kind of discovery is not just artistic. It is deeply personal. It is the experience of finding beauty in a heritage that is yours by story, not always by blood, and choosing to claim it anyway. My mother raised me with a truth I have carried my whole life: that family is not always blood. That truth lives in every layer of this painting.

This painting is for every adoptee who has searched for themselves in the spaces between what they were given and what they were born into. It is for anyone navigating the tender, complicated work of belonging — to a culture, to a family, to themselves. Family is not always blood. And identity is not always inherited — sometimes it is chosen, studied, and slowly, beautifully, made your own.

The poppies, the dreamlike landscape, the layered symbolism — all of it reaches backward and forward at once. This is a painting about becoming. About the courage it takes to open when you are not sure what is waiting on the other side.

My husband is woven into this painting in ways that cannot be seen but can be felt. When this concept was still fragile — still just a feeling I wasn’t sure I could execute — he was the one who pushed me to pursue it. On the days I felt unmotivated, he reminded me why I started. On the days I questioned my own thoughts, he held steady and told me to keep going. This painting exists, in part, because he refused to let me talk myself out of it.

Entering the Bloom Exhibition felt like a declaration. Receiving Second Place felt like confirmation. But the deeper victory was finding my voice — and knowing I had someone beside me who never doubted I would.

I am so deeply grateful to the Bloom Exhibition for the honor of showing this work and for creating a space where art rooted in identity, memory, and belonging is celebrated. Being recognized among such talented artists means more than words can fully hold. Thank you for seeing this painting — and for seeing me.

"This piece is dedicated to the one who saw the artist in me before I fully saw her myself — and to every woman still waiting to bloom."

January 2026 - Oil on canvas - 36''x 36''

This painting will come unframed; however, it is painted on the sides. If you choose to frame, every piece can be installed in a frame that you purchase on your own or you have professionally done.

All original paintings are signed by Jessica Tackett on the back of the artwork only. There will be my signature, date, and title of the artwork. Remember, original artwork holds its value well and increases over time!

All artwork is wall ready is given a coat of high gloss varnish to protect and preserve it for a lifetime.

Jessica Tackett Art © All Rights Reserved