Getting to Know Jessica Through Her Moving Studio Spaces

For this week’s studio visit, we got a chance to speak with Jessica, an author, illustrator, designer, and educator who moves between pictures and stories with an easy, natural rhythm. She walked us through the way she works, the habits that steady her days, and the small things she relies on as ideas slowly take shape. She talks about the books and artists she loves, the tools she keeps within reach, and how she shifts between writing, art, and the business side of her work.

Her studio isn’t a single room. It’s wherever she can find a quiet moment: the kitchen table, a pile of pillows in her bedroom, or a spot in a coffee shop where she can settle with her laptop. No matter where she ends up, there’s usually the smell of coffee nearby, because that’s the one thing she always carries into her workspace. For this visit, it’s just Jessica and the calm space she creates for herself, shaped by soft light and the absence of chatter.

She lets us in on the rhythm of her mornings, from taking her kids to school to trying to reclaim the rest of the day before it slips away. It’s a gentle look at how she works one piece at a time, in whatever space will hold her focus for a little while.

Jessica is an author, illustrator, designer, and educator whose work bridges emotional storytelling and visual strategy. With a background in animation and experience as a texture artist at DreamWorks, she brings cinematic depth and atmospheric nuance to every project. She wrote and illustrated the children’s books What to Do About Your Monsters and Tricky Trichotillomania, blending empathy, humor, and bold design to support young readers.

1. Can you walk us through your studio space? What’s the first thing you see when you walk in?

My studio it’s wherever I can carve out for moment of quiet. Sometimes it’s the kitchen table. Other times it’ propped up on a bunch of pillows in my bedroom. I’ve drafted chapters in coffee shops. But most importantly I have a cup of coffee nearby.

2. How is the space arranged to support the way you like to work on a painting from start to finish?  

Quiet. No one around. Music is fine, Tv is fine. But no people

3.   What materials or tools do you keep closest to you while working?  

computer, pencil and paper

4.   Are there certain books, film stills, or notes that stay in the studio as part of your process?  

I love Olivie Blake, and beatrice blue

5.   How do you usually keep track of ideas as they move from your journals into the canvas?  

I love google drive. Its my brain.

6. What does a typical day in this studio look like for you?

I take the kids to school, work out, nap, eat lunch, then freak out that most of the day is gone.

7.  How does the light in this space change the way you approach a painting?

It can affect my mood. I love natural light. it makes me happy.

8.  Do you have works in progress visible around the room, or do you prefer to focus on one piece at a time?  

I work on one art piece, one thing of writing, and one aspect of business at a time.

9. Is there a spot in the studio where you usually pause to step back and look at the work differently?  

I have to take a break from my work and come back to it later.

10. If you get a chance to set up your studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Good question! I love the sun and being outside. So I would be somewhere warm and within walking distance to the beach. I would want it to be quiet, but I could walk to some shops, restaurants, and places with people

Jessica’s studio feels like a soft, quiet pause in the middle of her day. It is never just one place. Sometimes it is the kitchen table before the house gets busy. Other times, it is a pile of pillows in her bedroom or a quiet seat in a coffee shop. No matter where she settles, the space carries the same gentle mood.

It feels calm and open, the kind of space where thoughts can drift in without pressure. The smell of coffee is usually there with her, bringing a sense of comfort and routine. There are no people around, which helps her focus, though she enjoys music or a show playing in the background.

When natural light fills the space, the whole room feels warmer, and it lifts her mood. It becomes easier for her to sit with an idea, write it down, sketch it out, or let it rest until she is ready to return to it. Her studio feels like a small breath in the day, a place that adjusts to her life rather than staying fixed in one room.

To learn more about Jessica, visit the links below.