He is a father, a student and a religious man. He has the ability to make people feel important. He is a clever wordsmith, weaving traditional southwestern tales with a tone only Jesse can master. He raises Longhorns, and is an entrepreneur. But, when Jesse gets in front of copper, he is an artist with a focus on the metal before him that turns something bare into something extraordinary.

Jesse began Tres Vaqueros Custom Copper Works in 2003 when a friend of his purchased a home that had some well-worn light fixtures, but the cost to replace them all was pricey.

“I figured there was a better way instead of buying all new light fixtures, so I suggested we cover them up” Jesse says. “I made some fixtures out of tin, and then painted them to look like copper. That’s what started it all.”

From that start, where Jesse merely painted a copper look, he moved on to working with real copper creations. At the Las Cruces and Mesilla Farmers Markets, Jesse can be found flame painting copper pieces (adding color to copper through oxidation) or piercing, cutting and embossing. He works on sconces, crosses, bracelets, water features, luminaries, wind chimes, hanging pot racks and framed and unframed copper pieces.

In fact, if someone wants something made from copper Jesse can probably do it, even if he has never made it before. When working on his pieces, people often stop and watch Jesse, instantly falling in love with the orange, blue and red hues he creates when flame painting the creative bracelets or sconces. Many times, they ask him to create something specific for their homes, and because his art is so unique, no one ever has exactly the same thing.

“All of my pieces are unique, each one of a kind,” Jesse says. “My artwork is inspired by what God has given us in nature; the patience and creativity that goes into each piece of my artwork is truly His.”

While at the Las Cruces Farmers Market, Jesse works with vendors as a Block Captain, something he takes pride in and is grateful to be a part of.

“This is such an awesome atmosphere,” Jesse says. “It’s like working with family. We all take care of each other.”

When Jesse, father of Jessica Cheyenne, 18, and Shane Jess, 26, is not creating copper masterpieces, he is studying Wildlife Science at New Mexico State University, working toward his goal of someday becoming a wildlife biologist. Or he is working on one of his books or short stories – weaving stories of old and new with rich southwestern cultures.

In fact, everything Jesse does has a Tres Vaqueros, or Three Cowboys, blend to it, making his business name fitting to all he does. He truly is a talent in more ways than one.