Memphis-area artist Jessica K. Haas — who describes herself as "the first female speed painter in America and the fastest speed painter in the entertainment industry" — will have another chance to promote her propulsive pigmenty prowess on the national stage when she competes Sept. 13 on the season premiere episode of "The Floor," a Rob Lowe-hosted game show on Fox.
Did we say "propulsive pigmenty prowess"? Let's add another P: She was pregnant.
"I was the only pregnant contestant," said Haas, 35, who gave birth Aug. 28 to 7-pound, 3-ounce Aurora Kristianna Dodd, the first child of Jessica and her husband, musician Tyson Dodd.
"So no matter what happens on the show, we won," said Dodd.
putting on your calendar now
"The Floor" is a large-scale game show that begins with 100 contestants. But with the then six-months-pregnant Haas among those on the program's massive chessboard-style set (the floor of the title), "we joked there were actually 101," Haas said. "So it'll be a family memory forever."
A telegenic Texas-born blond and graduate of the Memphis College of Art who now lives in Olive Branch, Haas became proficient in speed-painting in part because it enabled her to display a unique skill for the "talent" portions of beauty pageants (she's a former Miss Teen Texarkana and Miss Collierville).
As a beauty pageant winner who could paint, "I was what the entertainment industry calls 'marketable,'" said Haas, who soon found herself in demand as a professional speed-painter, creating rapid-fire works of art — from portraits of Jesus to portraits a snarling University of Memphis tiger — for sports halftime shows, conventions, the Indianapolis 500, a FanDuel Super Bowl party and other public gatherings.
In 2017, Haas appeared on ABC's "The Gong Show," where her 42-second painting of comic actor Will Arnett impressed a panel of judges that included Jack Black, Jennifer Aniston and Arnett himself. That network television triumph led to her being recruited for the upcoming sixth season of "The Floor," which is being promoted as a battle of champions.
"We're competing to be the champion of champions," Haas said. "I'm the speed-painting champion. The competitors are from 'Big Brother,' 'Big Games,' the Food Network. There are Olympians and Guinness world-record holders. It was super, super competitive but it was not a bad vibe, it was a fun vibe."
"The Floor" is a fast-paced show that requires competitors — vying for a $250,000 grand prize — to answer trivia questions to conquer squares on a large, illuminated floor. Eight contestants are eliminated each week. Haas would not reveal the outcome of the season, but said she appears on every episode.
The season premiere episode is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, following the Fox NFL game. The program returns Sept. 23, to begin its regular Wednesday evening run, through the end of the year.
John Beifuss is an entertainment writer at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at john.beifuss@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis speed painter Jessica K. Haas competing on Fox's 'The Floor'
