Sharissa 'Jackal'
Olivarez-Thomas
About Me
Artist Bio.
Sharissa 'Jackal' Olivarez-Thomas, formerly Sharissa 'Jackal' Olivarez, is a multimedia artist with a focus in graphic design. Currently located in Texarkana, Arkansas, and having recieved a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas, in May of 2025, Sharissa has had her art selected to feature in one juried art show. She was married in December of 2025.
Olivarez-Thomas' work tends to relate to her life experiences, good or bad. Her influences come from visits to Mexico, her birth town of Corpus Christi, Texas, and other major events in her life. Her art started with, as all kids do, drawing on the walls. From there, Olivarez-Thomas went on to learn how to draw based off of multiple anime styles, realism, and Disney art (specifically Lion King). Despite the hardships of being a first-gen college student, a first-gen Mexican-American, and the first career graphic designer, she lets none of this stop her. She is willing to push until she proves she can do what others or herself say she can’t do.
Hablo Español
Olivarez-Thomas was born in Texas to Mexican parents. In her childhood, she would visit her grandparents in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Houston, Texas. She has family in Southern Texas she also visits on occassion. Despite living in Arkansas, away from most of her family, Olivarez-Thomas holds onto strong family values, believing family matters take top priority.
Music in her Design.
Olivarez-Thomas' family is known to be a bit of an overachieving family, with Sharissa herself striving to push herself to her limits. Originally striving for a BFA in Music Education at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, she found Graphic Design to be more her pace due to her mind creating artistic designs consistently when she played her instruments or listened to music.