×

Art & motocross: Minot woman draws, photographs dirt bikes, more

JaDee Feist

JaDee Feist is a Bishop Ryan Catholic School senior, who is graduating this year, is taking her love of photography and art with her.

Feist has been into art her entire life. She said her dad liked to draw and she inherited her interest by watching him. When she drew in grade school, they looked like cartoon characters. With more practice and taking drawing classes in school, she improved exponentially. Now her drawings look so realistic that one may confuse them with a black and white photograph.

Now drawing is something that she does in her free time. She uses only graphite to draw, and the only thing she draws is animals, with the exception of the occasional motocross scene. Shading is an important factor for realistic drawings, creating depth and texture.

“Now that I’ve taken an advanced art class,” Feist said, “I like realistic drawings way better.”

In 2016, she got into digital photography when she asked for a Canon T5 Rebel camera for Christmas. She started by taking pictures of her horses. Her subjects changed to motocross pictures when her younger brother, Gage Feist, started racing. She got into racing last year, starting on a 2019 Yamaha YZ250F, carrying the race number of 211.

JaDee Feist drew her brother Gage Feist on his dirt bike.

Feist was asked to take pictures of the 2019 North Dakota Motocross Association trophy ceremony at the Seven Seas Hotel in Mandan, and they paid her for her work.

During the winter months, she mainly just takes pictures of her horses. Her brother has also done some indoor motocross down in South Dakota, which she has also captured.

As time went on, she bought and experimented with different lenses, but the camera is still the same. If family or friends needed pictures done, Feist would do it for them.

Her photos have been printed on canvas and stretched onto wooden frames. If she really likes one of her pictures, she will print it and hang it up in her room, a good portion of them being horses. However, she has an entire wall designated for motocross pictures.

The biggest canvas print Feist has done is of a wild buffalo and is hanging in her aunt’s hallway. Others that she’s had printed are from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

JaDee Feist took a photo of her brother Gage Feist while he was in midair on his dirt bike.

The only place that she posts a lot of her art is on her Instagram page.

She will be graduating from Bishop Ryan Catholic School this month. Her future plans are to go to North Dakota State University in Fargo this fall to become a veterinary technician, keeping photography as a hobby. Feist also mentioned that she wanted to take some drawing classes in college, with her interest in tattoos in mind.

“Try new things,” Feist said. “Don’t box yourself in.”

Being skilled in many different art forms and media provide many opportunities and options. She is now skilled in both drawing and photography, planning to continue both even after she starts college.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today