Jackson Boelts is an Arizona watercolor artist, graphic designer, and educator whose work explores both the natural world and the ways we experience it through memory, technology, and imagination.
His artistic journey began at the age of twelve under the guidance of his mother, Carol Boelts, an accomplished oil painter who introduced him to watercolor. What began as a childhood fascination with color and light has evolved into a lifelong artistic practice spanning decades.
Much of Jackson’s work is inspired by the landscapes of the American Southwest. His watercolor paintings capture the changing light, colors, and textures of Arizona’s deserts, mountains, washes, and open spaces. These works reflect a deep appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Alongside his representational landscapes, Jackson creates contemporary watercolor series that explore broader themes of perception, memory, and human experience. In works such as Digital Curtain, familiar landscapes dissolve into fields of color, fragmented forms, and visual interruptions that reflect the growing presence of technology in everyday life. These paintings invite viewers to consider the shifting boundary between the physical world and the digital environments that increasingly shape how we see and interact with reality.
Jackson’s background in graphic design influences many aspects of his work. Careful attention to composition, balance, rhythm, and visual movement guides the viewer through each painting. Whether working in traditional landscape watercolor or more experimental abstract forms, he remains committed to the expressive possibilities of the medium.
Today, Jackson continues to paint, explore new ideas, and develop series that bridge observation and imagination. His work reflects a lifelong curiosity about the relationship between place, memory, technology, and the human experience.