The Story Behind Embodied in Art

From one painting to a world of illustration

Embodied in Art began with a single painting. I created it while processing grief, using art to explore something that felt difficult to put into words. I didn't know then where that painting would lead, but it became the beginning of a much bigger creative journey.

Over time, my work has evolved. What began as a personal exploration of emotion, psychology and healing has grown into an illustration-led art practice exploring wellbeing, emotion, nature and place.

Today, I create illustrations that can be enjoyed in many different ways. From colouring books and wellbeing journals to prints, cards and original artwork.

And alongside my wellbeing-inspired work, I create illustrations of the local landscapes and places I love.

Photo of artist

I'm Jess,

I'm an illustrator and artist, and the person behind Embodied in Art. I have always been drawn to the things that sit beneath the surface. Our emotions, experiences, relationships, memories and the places that become part of our stories.

I'm equally fascinated by the world around us. The landscapes we walk through, the places we return to, and the little details that make somewhere feel like home.

Illustration gives me a way to explore both.

Sometimes I'm drawing something deeply personal.

Sometimes I'm drawing a landscape simply because I love it.

Sometimes an illustration carries a message or invites reflection.

And sometimes I just want to make something beautiful.

I think there's room for all of those things.

The Inner Landscape

A significant part of my work is inspired by wellbeing and the emotional experiences that shape our lives.

I'm interested in the things we don't always have words for - change, grief, identity, connection, rest, self-care, uncertainty and the many different seasons of being human.

I don't create artwork to tell you what to think or how to feel.

Instead, I hope my illustrations give you a moment to pause, recognise something familiar, explore an idea or simply connect with an image that means something to you.

These illustrations become colouring books, journals, prints and cards. Allowing you to interact with the artwork in whatever way feels right for you.

The places and things around us

My work isn't only about the inner world. I'm also inspired by the world outside us.

I love drawing local landscapes and places that have caught my attention or hold a special place in my heart. Favourite walks, familiar views, beautiful buildings and the landscapes that make somewhere feel like home.

There is something lovely about taking a place you know and translating it into illustration.

It can make you look at somewhere familiar differently.

And for someone else, it can capture a place they love too.

Where psychology and creativity meet

My background has always influenced the way I approach my work.

I studied Psychology at the University of Manchester and Birkbeck, and later trained in Holistic Creative Therapy. Before becoming an artist, I also worked in Diversity & Inclusion.

These experiences have shaped my interest in identity, wellbeing, emotional experience and the stories that can be difficult to express.

They also inform the care and sensitivity I bring to more personal pieces of work.

When your story becomes art

Alongside my own illustrations and collections, I also create bespoke artwork.

For a Personalised Commission, you can tell me about a person, place, memory, relationship or story you'd like captured, and I'll transform your ideas into an original illustration or painting.

I also offer a very small number of Healing Portraits each year.

These are a deeper creative experience. Rather than telling me exactly what you want painted, you complete a guided journal and share the reflections that emerge. I use those insights as the starting point for creating an original artwork - a visual interpretation of your story.

It's one of the places where my background, my love of listening to people's stories and my passion for illustration come together.

Why Embodied in Art?

The name has stayed with me because I still believe that our experiences aren't only things we think about.

We experience life through our whole selves, through our bodies, emotions, memories, relationships and senses.

And sometimes art can give those experiences a form.

A feeling can become an image. A memory can become a colour. A story can become a landscape.

Something that was difficult to put into words can become something we can see, hold and return to.

That's what Embodied in Art means to me. Embodying all our experiences through art.

What I hope my work gives you

I want my illustrations to have room for different kinds of meaning.

Perhaps you'll see something that makes you feel understood.

Perhaps you'll find a colouring book that gives you a quiet moment in a busy day.

Perhaps you'll recognise a landscape you love.

Perhaps you'll choose a print because it makes you smile.

Or perhaps an image simply catches your eye.

You don't need to have a particular reason.

Art can be meaningful, reflective, beautiful - or simply enjoyable.

I'm happy for it to be all of those things.