‘I have loved being part of the Boundary Way project and have embraced nature in my work as a result working outdoors. I was privileged to attend the artist sharing session exploring mushroom drawing with mud and sticks and connecting with other artists involved in the project was very inspiring.
Working with West Park Primary school for the Magnifying Mushrooms project was a real pleasure. We created observational drawings from real mushrooms and then went onto paint fungi with acrylic paint onto circular wood pieces which will be transformed into bunting for the exhibition. We then created clay mushrooms exploring textile and form.’
Artist Information
Jessica Hartshorn originates from Derbyshire, but has spent the last 12 years in Rugby, in Warwickshire. After gaining her degree in Visual Communication, Illustration at Loughborough University in 2001 she worked on a range of private and commercial commissions. These included gift vouchers, brochure covers and greetings cards for small businesses. She also exhibited in galleries and art fairs across the midlands, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire, and most recently took part in Warwickshire Open Studios and Rugby Festival of Culture Art Trail. Jessica also completed a range of murals for schools and private homes, working on a larger scale, but still showcasing the imagination and storytelling of her illustrations. Recent commissions include an underwater theme mural at Paddox Primary school in Rugby, an anniversary tree at Dunchurch infant school and a Christmas Mural at MAC Arts Centre Birmingham.
Jessica changed direction in 2003 and for the last 17 years has been working in gallery education in Milton Keynes and Rugby. This was an exciting opportunity to work with both art and culture through education and learning.
She recently returned to working full time as an artists and illustrator and is reinventing her illustration career with a new enthusiasm. Through a fun and colourful flavour, Jessica’s Illustrations focus very much on a children’s book style and her love of pattern shines through and is incorporated into the story telling of her illustrations. Using a mixture of acrylic, posca pens, and crayons, work is sketched, and then painted using layers of colour and finally adding details.