A Maritimer , Jessie Parker graduated from Mount Allison University ,N.B (BFA, B.Ed), having studied under Colville, Harris Jr and Silverberg, specializing in painting in oils. Following graduation, she switched to acrylics for painting. A camera in her hand since age 4, she developed in interest in photography as its own medium and began doing professional photography in 1972. She continued to paint until the mid 80's, whereupon she made the completed changeover to photography and photo based art. Her photo based work has been entirely digital since 2001.

She has had 10 solo shows (Maritimes, Ontario, and Britain), and dozens of group shows involving both her painting and photo-based art. Her largest show was at Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown in 1979 (photo-based art). Following her move to Ottawa, Canada, by the mid 80's she made the evolution from the gallery scene to the publishing world via stock photography and has been published worldwide since 1987 via First Light, Alamy.

On the practical side, she taught Fine Art off and on in the 60's and 70's (Maritimes, Hamilton, ON), mainly high school and university levels. In the mid 70's a 2 year stint at Atlantic Conservation Centre (National Museums), Moncton as a photographer. In the 80's, a 3 year stint at the National Gallery of Canada, giving tours of collections and special exhibitions, pulling in record setting capacity crowds. In the 90's a 7 year stint as a financial planner after which she returned to photography full time in 2000. Recently she has been sought after for workshops for professional artists, for articles for arts publications, and as guest speaker for several arts groups in the Ottawa area. She has published 6 eBooks and 3 paperbacks for visual artists. See her website for her books.

Since 2009, she has been developing her own unique version of a new medium in fine art photo based work involving photo based digital art using some digital "painting" techniques. (See Artist Statement) She has been actively showing this new medium through Arteast, ArtsOttawaEast locally, Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto, and Frederic Remington Gallery, Ogdensburg, NY, Foyer Gallery,Ottawa, and 2 galleries in Florida.. She has won several awards for her new works (2009-2015). At Ottawa Art Expo,2011,and the Toronto Art Expo, 2012, her photo based art work caused quite a stir about her new medium and imagery. As of spring 2013 she has been exploring "painting with light" in her new Urban Jazz suite, and is now concentrating on her "lightscapes". She is currently is represented by Ottawa Art Gallery Rental, and Fine Art America. Her studio was in Ottawa, Canada until she moved to Oakville in 2019.

Memberships: CARFAC since 1968; Member of NAPP (National Assoc. of Photoshop Professionals) since 2000; Arteast Ottawa and ARTSOE since 2009 - 2020; NFAL since 2012 -2020.

Biographed in second edition of Dictionary of Canadian Artists, and Maritime Artists II. Published in "International Contemporary Artists", Vol IV, V, VII,IX from ICA Publishing ,New York, NY, and Hidden Treasures, London UK,2014