Creepy Conversation with Karli Jessup of Jessup General Store

Artist in their store at The Junction Creative Studios.

In the spirit of the season, we caught up with artist, Karli Jessup - owner and designer of Jessup’s General Store. When you walk into her store, you are welcomed by the handmade cool and curious artworks and items that some may call a little spooky.

About the artist:

I have been a practicing artist for probably 15 years now and a practicing witch for 5 years. The thing that kind of set me on the path of involving the occult and witchcraft in my artwork was a trip I took to Salem, MA over Halloween. My partner Brandi loves everything creepy and weird so we decided to go there. Something about the energy there and the history, because that is where the witch trials took place made me feel so inspired. When I got back from that trip basically all of my work was occult and effect. There was so much to explore in that. I own a store, “Jessups General Store”- the name comes from my great grandparents who ran a general store in Punnichy, Sask was also called Jessups General Store. I wanted to keep the name to pay homage to them and their hard work. The products I carry are clothing, and I create all of the designs myself and screenprint them myself, I also create screenprints on paper and accessories like pins, buttons, and stickers, and I also make witchcraft supplies like witchbells, spell bottles, and things like that. 

Born and raised in Regina, Got my degree in printmaking. It took me a long time to find printmaking. I knew I wanted to be an artist, and I took all of the courses - drawing, painting, photography, but I wasn’t really good at it, or at least in the way that I could be graded on. Once I found printmaking, it just seemed to fit for me, and I had an excellent professor, Rob Truskowski. There are really no parameters on subject matter imagery and I got to run wild with it. As long as you had the technical downs you could really do whatever you wanted. 

The trip to Salem was 7 years ago, I had already graduated from university. I had recently had one of my grandmothers pass away and we had the chance to go to a psychic medium and it was a group setting. They would go around the room and if they had a message to pass along from a loved one, they would. They came to me and said some things about my grandma that nobody else would know and that I found really exciting too, that was a big part of the trip.

What do you find most important about the work you’re creating?

I think the style I have is different than other things that you would find in the city. I guess people call my work ‘spooky’, but spooky is an all-year-round thing for me. I offer a unique perspective as a witch and an artist, and quality is really important to me. I choose really good blank clothing and make sure it is screenprinted and cured properly. Like if you buy one of my shirts, the image will never wash out. I just think having my unique perspective and offering my artwork in Regina.

Why have you chosen this theme in your artwork?

It was always something I was interested in. Since I was a kid I was obsessed with “The Wicked Witch of the West” and then “Hocus Pocus” came out. Witches have always intrigued me, and I bought my first book about witchcraft and magic when I was 16, but it wasn’t until that trip to Salem that I started incorporating all of those interests into my artwork.

What is your favourite piece you’ve created?

It probably is the Seance Etiquette print. I think for me, Seances are the most mysterious and just being able to communicate with spirits makes my brain blow up. Really anything that can’t be explained I get really excited about. Seances have been happening for hundreds of years and it was one of the first pieces that I was like “I nailed this one” - it was exactly how I wanted it to look like and feel like.

How does your identity influence your art practise?

I think some of the topics I talk about can be scary, and I think I try to approach things with humour a lot of the time, and a magical aspect. Like witchcraft is still seen as evil and scary through the media, tv shows, and movies. I just watched a date line and it was like “there were pentagrams everywhere and they worshipped the devil and did all these evil things”. It’s unfortunate because witchcraft is so much about honouring the earth, the elements, and following the phases of the moon. It’s quite beautiful, so I try to move it away from the fear of the unknown and make the unknown a more exciting aspect.

What does Halloween mean to you?

It’s the best time of year. I am a very sensory type of person and I feel like October has a feel and a really strong aesthetic. It has a smell to it, the leaves and the pumpkins, and the energy. They say it is when the veil is most thin between realms of the living and the dead. It’s something I look forward to every year.

What do you think is something that is misunderstood about the occult?

People view it as scary. I don’t think people really understand witchcraft, because of the witch trials witches were seen as evil for a long time. People tend to fear things they don’t know about, and witchcraft is one of those things that are misunderstood. I think it might be seen as anti-religious, but most witches are healers, and trying to help people. We have a lot of the same values and it’s just called by a different name and is misunderstood.

Halloween Tradition?

Most of the time it is just handing out candy and watching Hocus Pocus. One time I tried to use a Ouji Board but nobody wanted to talk to me so I gave up on that.

Picture Left: Limited Time Artist collaboration Trick or Treat bags.

What role does the artist have in Regina?

They have a big role. Artists create the flavour of a city. Public artwork is so important to a city and it's more accessible to people that may not always go into a gallery. Galleries have a big importance, murals have a big importance, street art has a big importance and then I think artwork that you can wear is really cool. It plays a huge role, but I can't fully explain why.

What is your dream project?

Installation work is something that I am really interested in. I really like creating environments, I was super excited to set up my shop and I think it has a really good feel to it. I’d like to get installation and incorporate sound, video, and things like that to create a really magical space.

Anything you want Regina to know about your store?

Come in, I don’t bite. If you want to support a local artist, pop down. The Junction is full of amazing people doing amazing things. It’s a cool place to come and visit.