Interview
Jenny Phillips
Eternal lover of animals, passionate about vivid colors, earthy tones, and forever chasing new skills, Jennifer Rae Phillips is a fond user of watercolor paints, acrylic, alcohol markers, gouache, colored pencil, and fine liner pens.
Jen is an English artist and illustrator who started her artistic career in 2017, despite being creative her whole life. Her delightful use of animals as muses has granted her acclaim through teaching illustration on Domestika, producing children’s book illustrations internationally, and landing a ‘How to Draw’ animals book which is due for release in late 2023.
Jen uses her passion for art to inspire thousands of creative people through social media, and using her life coaching qualifications, coaches artists to move towards their full potential.
She is forever determined to encourage fellow artists to pursue their dreams, using her own experiences of depression, anxiety and ADHD to help remind people that obstacles are never too great to overcome.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Art has always been in my life. Both my grandfathers were very gifted hobby artists, and I was always given pens and paper to play with, so that definitely ignited my love art. But for most of my life, it was a hobby or a way to ground myself. I’ve experienced intense periods of depression and anxiety, and art was always a coping mechanism. It was when my mental health tanked and my well-being hit rock bottom that I decided I need a change.
I first called myself an artist in 2021, when I decided I was going to quit my full-time job in a laboratory. Up until then, I had earned a bit of money from painting pet portraits, but that was about it. In the beginning, using the term ‘artist’ for myself was hard as it seemed like a false identity. But when I took the leap to turn my art into a business, I realized I needed to change my mindset.
I began sharing my art with the world through social media and slowly found my place. Focusing full time on the thing that brought me so much peace seemed like the right thing to do, and I wasn’t wrong.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m primarily inspired by nature and animals. I’ve always seen nature as a beautifully complex entity that humans can live and thrive off of, yet never fully understand or comprehend. The world around us is so much greater than we are, and that feeling of being humbled is one I really think we need as a species. We need to remember our place alongside the trees, mushrooms, and animals that we inhabit this planet with.
When I see an animal, I think about what it has evolved to achieve. Everything exists to survive and pass on its genes, and everything fills a precise niche, which is what makes the world turn. Remove any one of those components and the machine breaks down. We need predators and prey. We need micro-organisms and megafauna. Plants, insects, tiny bacteria — they all inspire me to achieve what I was meant to do, and to fill the niche I was born to fill.
I’m also inspired by other artists. Not just world famous ones, but the little hobby artists who create for no other reason than that they like it. It’s those people that motivate me to never give up. Art is special, and we deserve to create it.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My work pretty much always contains an animal of some sort. I love trying to create them in all sorts of media, and showing my followers on Instagram that it’s okay not to stick to one style. It’s fun to try new things, and life’s too short to not try a different technique.
The message I want people to understand is that it’s always okay to do what makes you happy, especially in art. It’s okay to create for you and make yourself happy. In your world, you’re the person who matters most.”
How would you describe your work?
“In one word: varied! Sometimes I feel like it would be a blessing to have a unique style that people the world over could recognize. But my personality shifts as I grow, and even on a day to day basis, I have different favorites. Some days, I want to do pencil studies. Other days, I want to paint big.
It’s important for me not to feel limited, and trying new things is an important part of who I am and the work I create.”
“When people see what I create, I want them to feel empowered to go and create for themselves. I want them to feel cozy and loved, because that’s what I feel when I create.”
Which artists influence you most?
“All the artists who’ve influenced me can be found on social media. I’m thrilled when I stumble across a new Instagram post where the artist has shared about their work or process. There’s something very personal about following someone on social media. Oftentimes it can feel fake, but with the click of a button you can send them a message or comment on their work.
To pick artists that have prolific work, John Howe and Aaron Blaise are two of my favorites. They both have such command of the tools they use, which I aspire to achieve for myself.”
What is your creative process like?
“This is an interesting question because I rarely reflect about my process when I’m in full swing. I can get extremely hyper-focused on what I’m creating that I just do.
I know that when I’m starting something, especially a larger painting, I tend to envision the feeling I want someone to feel. That tends to help me select color palettes and even the subject of the piece. I love that I try new media too because that can mix up my process entirely. I love a novel experience.
I always have to have something on in the background, a podcast, music, or anything like that. My brain is a busy and chaotic place, so having something for my ears to focus on gives my mind the peace to concentrate.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art is one of the most human things in society. Today, we have the impending threat of what AI is capable of. But to me, no matter how ‘good’ AI is at forging a painting based on real artists’ ideas, we creators can never be replaced. Art transcends language. The feeling one gets from seeing an artist’s work, knowing the love and passion that went into it, is irreplaceable.
In recent years, art has helped get us through tough times, with people turning to music or picking up creative hobbies. Art feels like something we were born to do. People have been dancing around campfires or painting on cave walls for millennia. Like the lion is born to hunt or the bird of paradise is born to dance, we humans are born to create. Art is communal, and we are a communal species. We need it.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’d love to be able to exhibit my art. My opportunity hasn’t yet reached, but that’s okay — all in good time.
Since moving to my new home country of Germany, I hope to find opportunities here that will allow me to grow in the art world.”
