A fair likeness

There’s just something about people that draws Jacqueline Jasper in.

A native of Iowa, the portrait artist—who was commissioned to paint USI President Dr. Ronald Rochon’s official presidential portrait—has spent her career creating artwork of people, from university presidents to fashion advertisements. But it’s always been people who have driven her passion.

“My mother did phenomenal portraits of beautiful women, and she didn’t have any formal training. I always thought, ‘I want to draw beautiful people like she does,’” says Jasper. “I’d rather draw people than anything else.”

Over the years, her style has earned her recognition as an internationally-renowned portrait artist. Jasper attended an all-girls college in Minnesota to study fine art but found there was no “practical application” for the degree once she completed her studies. This led her to New York and beginning a career as a fashion illustrator for many years. But as the times and industry changed, Jasper found herself at a turning point.

“As the advertisers started going with photography (over illustrators), I started thinking about how I always wanted to do portraits,” she says. “Even when I was doing illustration, my likenesses were so on, I knew I could do portraits.”

And so that’s what Jasper started to do, studying with several well-known portrait artists and working in their home studios in the early 1990s. Though she had never truly painted before—her work as an illustrator was done by drawing—Jasper found herself drawn to using oils in her new art.

“It was such a relief after being a fashion illustrator; I used to have all-nighters to meet deadlines for the newspapers. I didn’t have to do that anymore,” she laughs.

From there, her path to completing portraits of university presidents seemed natural, as she says university presidents are so easy to work with. Each year, Jasper completes about six portraits commissioned from across the country.

Her process for Dr. Rochon’s portrait actually began before she even put brush to canvas. When Jasper accepted the commission, she began to research Rochon, including reading essays he has written. But what really stood out in her mind was his personally reaching out to her.

“I don’t think I’ve had many presidents call me, and I spoke with Dr. Rochon twice,” she says. “Usually I speak with an assistant, so that was really personal.”

After getting to know Rochon a bit more through her research and conversations, she made her visit to the USI campus on June 3, 2021, to gather photos of Rochon for her painting and complete a color study where she would gather first impressions and ideas for the final portrait. It was also a chance for her to meet Rochon in person and get a view of campus.

“I felt like I really got to know Dr. Rochon [leading up to this], and I wanted to bring out some of those characteristics I’ve seen,” she says.

Jasper studied the photos captured during her visit and selected the one she thought best conveyed  Rochon (with his input, of course). Over the last year, she has been working to complete the final product, the official portrait, unveiled Thursday, November 17 in the Griffin Center. Members of Rochon’s family, the campus community, USI students and more joined in celebrating the unveiling.

Dr. Betty J. (Siemers) Worthington, who gifted the commission and portrait to the University, was also in attendance. She and her late husband, Wayne, have carried on the tradition of commissioning portraits of USI presidents for display. In 1992, they commissioned the second portrait of USI’s first president, Dr. David L. Rice, in honor of the 25th anniversary of his presidency. The Worthingtons once again gifted a portrait of Dr. Linda M. Bennett to the University in 2013.

Though Jasper could not make it back to campus for the reveal, she said the finished portrait is always a rewarding moment. “I love to travel and meet people, and of course when you are in your studio, it’s almost a spiritual experience,” she says. “But the painting itself is just as rewarding.”

Rochon’s official presidential portrait will hang alongside those of past presidents in the David L. Rice Library’s Kleymeyer Hall of Presidents, a quiet study area located on the fourth floor of the library. The public may view the portraits of all USI’s presidents during normal library hours.