Jessie LaVon Memory Artist

WATCH JESSIE INTERVIEW on SIMPLY SOUTHERN TV

I was born a sharecroppers daughter in 1955 to Geneva Yelverton.  I try to capture my family’s way of life from the early 1900’s to the late 1970’s.   My paintings show a forgotten past and reflects the disappearing scenes of the south. The south feeds my soul. I call my paintings "Suthern'ality Style"

One of my most popular subjects is the “Snake Tree Ceremony.”  My family has always had a snake tree.  About the Snake Tree….it was a hollowed out cypress tree that my Uncle Ed used when the crops needed rain...he would draw a circle of salt around the tree...say a chant...start a slow burning fire in the hollowtree...kill a snake from the swamp...rub the snake’s blood on the tree and hang the dead snake in the tree.  My snake tree paintings are all copyrighted.

My first canvases were made when Mama and Nanny boiled rabbit bones to make a glue and they would dip pieces of white linen cloth in the rabbit glue. My paint was made from post hole muds, berries, plants and coffee grounds. Painting is a haunting beauty to me.  I am at peace when I paint.  My art is dedicated to my late nephew, fallen hero Spec-4  Andrew Hand who died in 2010 in Afghanistan, he was 25 years old and to my late beloved Mama who is dancing in the sky with Andrew.  My art is all over the USA, in England, Japan, Canada and Australia.

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Here's the Link to another good story on Jessie (Dec 12, 2021)

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MESSAGE ABOUT JESSIE    January 4, 2024

International folk artist Jessie LaVon, who has had the great pleasure of showing at the "Kentuck" annual art festival with Charlie “Tin Man” Lucas, Lonnie Holley, the late Woody Long, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Mose T, Berniece Sims and established folk artist Michael Banks. 

Jessie will permanently be stepping down from the folk art world. after 51 years.  She will be disposing of all of her art supplies.

She will no longer be painting and creating unique art works.  Her art will no longer be for sale after the current inventory is sold out. We will offer her paintings until they are all sold.

Jessie said that she will always be thankful for the support and friendship of collectors that bought her art and other artists, especially Ms Georgine Clark, long time friends Charlie Lucas, Woody and Dot Long.

THAT’S SAD NEWS…..We have been offering her "Southern-ality" Paintings for many years. Even tho we have never met, we have developed a close friendship with Jessie and we talk on the phone weekly and talked thru many ups and downs with her health problems.  WE LOVE HER and will miss the joy of occasionally opening new packages of her latest creations.