Who are you?

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I’m Jacqui. I live in Loughborough, a town right in the middle of England, and I work mainly from home in the little spare room that I’ve claimed as my studio (although you can often find me working in our local coffee shop or curled up on the sofa — just for a change of scenery!).

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I have always loved anything arty or creative. I spent my childhood colouring, drawing, junk-modelling, knitting, and sewing. I actually wrote my first little book at the age of five, carefully illustrated with my best pencil crayons and held together with sticky tape. This is what I have always loved and what I believe I was created to do.

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What do you love most about your job?

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One of the things I love most is the variety and excitement of a new challenge or project. I know that I am incredibly blessed to be able to say that I have worked as a freelance artist for just over thirty years, and over that time I have had so many different opportunities, including designing greeting cards, wrapping paper and giftware, as well as creating educational resources and book illustrations. I love that it’s constantly changing and evolving and that there’s always something new to discover.

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I also love knowing that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. I’ve always felt a “calling” to be creative. I know this is what I was created to do.

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What inspires you?

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Colour, pattern, and texture have played a significant role in my work over the years — whether through fabric and stitch, snipped, painted, and collaged paper, or experimenting in my sketchbooks with layers of paint and coloured pencils. I’m drawn to colour and pattern in everyday life and find that my camera roll is full of little snatches of inspiration.

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Much of my work is inspired by my Christian faith. Often, this starts with a Bible passage that I’ve been reading or a talk I’ve heard. I instinctively respond by creating something that helps me delve a little deeper into what it means and helps me understand and take hold of what I’ve learnt. Sometimes this is subtle and almost abstract, but I think I am probably best known for the Bible verse colouring books I’ve illustrated. 

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What’s new?

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In addition to lots of drawing, creating collages, and getting out and about with my sketchbook, I’ve also been doing a little bit of writing. It’s happened slowly and naturally, and I’m really enjoying the process. My regular Substack blogs and newsletters explore faith and creativity. You can find them here.

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Last summer, I had the opportunity to write twenty-eight short devotionals to go alongside some of the illustrations I created for the colouring book Images of Hope. I’m really enjoying this new direction and excited to see what’s next!

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If you want to stay up to date, the best way is to head to my contact page to sign up for my monthly newsletter, or follow me on Substack or Instagram.