Jessica McDaniel combines photography and traditional drawing in an unexpected way to show the relationship between reality and memory. McDaniel's cinematic scenes are windows to the past and the lingering presence of the people who once inhabited the spaces. She photographs abandoned houses, prints high quality images, and proceeds to draw figurative elements directly onto the image to create memories left behind. She is interested in the ideas of memory, loss, nostalgia, and homesickness.

McDaniel is a graduate of Fine Arts and Art History at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She was named Outstanding Senior in the School of Art and Design due to her photo drawing project that continues into professional practice.