Jessalyn Claire Studios
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About the Artist

 
 

Follow Jessalyn on Instagram: @jessalynclairestudios

I have been very minimally active in anything related to business. Last summer I had such a pressure to press on and finish my illustrations. This summer I’ve leaned hard into vacation season, or let’s call it, “motherhood-mostly” season, assuming I’ll get back into business soon... or eventually, or in due-time, because for everything there is a season. This season is, “chasing diapers through sprinklers and playing with neighborhood friends” season. #motherhoodseason #artistmama #mamaartist #letthembelittle #playislearning #childrensbook #naturebook #illsutrator #birdillustration
About this time last year we would wake up and haul the highchair, oil pastels, and other book writing/illustrating accoutrements to the porch to work on what seemed like endless illustrations (but actually, 26) and writings. At this point, I wasn’t even half finished with it all... Makes me a little tired just thinking about it. Tired, but also, happy. #childrensillustrator #childrensbook #birdbook #birdlover #homeschoolbooks #gooutside #outdoorclassroom #staycurious #naturebooks
Oops, I got busy living life and forgot to post for two weeks. That’s okay, we had really important things going on. Like, watching ants, playing in the sprinklers and working on some pen and ink projects just for the joy of it.
Today I am working on a project that requires watercolor. Sadly, my Winsor & Newton palette was just too crusty and crowded to use well. So, I took it apart and cleaned it up. It was like erasing history. All of the beautiful spots and stains, the markings of ten plus years of art, down the drain to make space for the now. That’s a life metaphor if I’ve ever heard one.
After a few weeks of travel, it’s good to be back at my table. After a some unpacking, maybe I’ll even get to paint a little today.
A year ago my little book project was barely more than a concept and a couple of illustrations. Many things have transpired since then, both good and bad, but all at just the right pace. Things are picking up, but this week I’m taking a bit to just enjoy good things coming my way and bask in how much has happened in a year. The indigo bunting was my first book illustration. At least as far as I can recall... I didn’t get a lot of sleep in that time period so my memory is a bit foggy.