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Jessica Palmer

Illustrator and Artist.  Drawings, book illustration, paper cuts, paper sculpture and collage.

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Jessica Palmer

Illustrator and Artist.  Drawings, book illustration, paper cuts, paper sculpture and collage.

See More ↴

Jessica Palmer

Illustrator and Artist.  Drawings, book illustration, paper cuts, paper sculpture and collage.

See More ↴

Jessica Palmer

Illustrator and Artist.  Drawings, book illustration, paper cuts, paper sculpture and collage.

See More ↴

About

About

Jessica Palmer - Paper Artist & Illustrator

After a career as a BBC Producer, I trained as an illustrator and did an MA in Illustration at Kingston Uni in 2008.  Since then I have been making paper art – paper cuts, collages and 3D paper sculptures – and working as an illustrator.

My work is commissioned for public installations, advertising and marketing, design and decoration, books, websites and magazines, as well as for bespoke gifts.

As a few examples: I have five published books, another coming in September 2017, and have drawn a portfolio of more than 300 illustrations in the past year. I recently illustrated a cook book for Rizzoli with both paper cuts and sketches, a poetry collection called The Book of Snow by Robert Seatter with cut outs, collages and collographs, and designed a range of fabric for Tribee Fashion in the US.

I am currently the in-house illustrator for English Heritage.

I am also a Visiting Artist at the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Sir John Soane Museum, The Museum of London, the Holburne Museum in Bath, the British Museum, Hampton Court Palace, the Wallace Collection and the National Portrait Gallery among many others.  I am a visiting tutor at the Bristol Drawing School in the Royal West of England Academy and at Bath University’s creative space – The Edge.

I show my work internationally and I recently had illustration pieces in the US in the Wolves, Magic Mirrors & Spinning Wheels exhibit at the Everhart Museum in Pennsylvania, and Blanc de Blanc at the Jamestown Art Centre in Rhode Island, USA where I showed a giant 7 metre long collage called Connect the Dots about imperilled wild flowers. 

If you would like to talk about commissioning me to create a piece of art of to exhibit at an event, please email me at palmerk@outlook.com.

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Portfolio

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Paper in 3D

I make paper objects by cutting with a scalpel knife but also by folding, crumpling, crushing, layering or by using papier-mache techniques. Paper comes in infinite textures, weights and colours and I choose carefully depending on the nature of the project and the techniques I’m going to apply.

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Illustrations

I make story-telling images with strong figurative and character elements, humour and lots of movement. I am inspired by the natural world – shells, seed heads, wild flowers, fossils – fabric design, stained glass windows, tapestries, fairy tales and folklore and historic artifacts.

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Paper Cuts

I draw with a knife and paint with paper. I combine the traditions of silhouetted images with extra line, pattern and emphasis. I also work with cut paper to create collages. 

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Books

The Art of Papercutting

The Art of Papercutting illustrates the multitude of ways in which a knife can be used for creating cut-paper art in portraits, fashion, landscapes, illustration and covers - even life drawing. The book also provides guidance for would-be paper cutters and includes twelve templates.

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Tangle Wood

- A Captivating Colouring Book with Hidden Jewels

As an alternative way for people to find their inner artist, Search Press have also published my first colouring book for grown-ups, Tangle Wood. Tangle Wood is a place to let your imagination wander. Draw and doodle in the airy spaces, and colour to your heart’s content. Packed with 75 pages of my illustrations, Tangle Wood is full of forest creatures, plants and woodland flowers and each page contains a hidden jewel.

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Tangle Bay

– An Enchanting Colouring Book with Hidden Treasure

The images in Tangle Bay all have a magical maritime theme, and each one includes hidden treasure worked into the design for readers to discover and colour in. Like Tangle Wood, this book includes designs that fit on a single page as well as those that extend across a double-page spread. Some have space left for the reader to extend the design themselves. High quality paper means that there is no show-through.

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Tangle Magic

– A spellbinding colouring book with hidden charms

The latest book in the Tangle series! The images all have a magical theme, and each one includes a hidden charm intricately worked into the design for readers to discover and colour in.  

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Tangle Wood Collector's Art Edition

- A Captivating Colouring Book with Hidden Jewels

A magical selection of illustrations chosen from the bestselling Tangle Wood, now published in a fresh, large-scale format for a sumptuous colouring experience.  This special collectors art edition contains 20 delightful pull-out images to colour in.  Each detailed artwork is printed on high-quality card that can be removed easily for framing. 

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Commissions

Would you like to commission a remarkable piece of art for yourself, or as a unique gift for someone you know?

Here’s my 4-step process for obtaining a unique artwork, whether it be a paper-cut or sculpture, a collage, or a drawing. It’s simple. It’s not time-consuming. And as I work collaboratively you get as much input as you want along the way.

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Step 1

Get in contact with me (email palmerk@outlook.com or give me a call on 01225-284598) and let me know what you have in mind. I’ll suggest ideas and possible cost.

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Step 2

I’ll make an initial drawing for you. We’ll then talk about any changes you want to make. Once you’re happy with the design I’ll give you a firm quote and agree timescales.

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Step 3

It will usually take between a couple of weeks from the drawing stage to the finished artwork.  It depends how complicated the paper cut is.

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Step 4

I’ll complete the art piece and deliver it to you. A very happy beneficiary!

“Working with Jessica is a true collaboration. She understood my requirements and was full of helpful suggestions. We talked ideas through on the phone and within a day Jess had come up with five initial sketches. We quickly narrowed it down to one and, within a week, she had produced a cover that perfectly captures the essence of my book. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

By Mandy Curry, Author

“I commissioned Jessica to create a paper cut for a wedding. She did a magnificent job of working with me, and the piece has the magical quality that characterizes her work.”

By Sara G, Bath

“I absolutely adore my birthday present. I am blown away by it. I would buy this piece even if I wasn’t in it! This wonderful, amazing, beautiful window-portrait will bring much delight and debate to our gatherings with friends and family, and will take pride of place in our home.”

By Mark C, London

News & Events

halloween

Create Halloween Masks and 3D Models from paper!

Half-day and all-day workshops in London on Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th October. Come and have some mask-making fun at the wonderful Shepherds paper emporium just five minutes from Victoria Station.  Or make a 3D model like the kingfisher above. We’ll be cutting and sticking and moulding paper into amazing shapes and creatures. Don’t miss this.  It’s going to be […]
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burberry-ruff-stuff

Burberry ruff-stuff!

I’m currently working with The New Craftsmen in London, making a range of paper ruffs to be worn by visitors to the Gabardine Tent as part of Burberry’s post-London Fashion Week event. Located in the heart of London’s Soho, Makers House at 1 Manette Street will be open to visitors from 21-27 September. The space will showcase […]
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tangle-magic

Where did YOU find Tangle Magic?

Here’s a photo from Lorna and Tim showing my latest book, Tangle Magic, on sale in Powells of Portland in the US. I’m thrilled that my books have been published in countries around the world and I’d love to hear where you’ve seen Tangle Magic.  Just email a photo along with the details to palmerk@outlook.com. We’ll enter all your pictures in a prize draw and there’ll […]
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Connect the Dots

And should you be on the other side of the Atlantic…

You can see my work at two amazing exhibitions in the USA this summer. My “See Evil, Hear Evil, Speak Evil” is on display as part of the “Wolves, Magic Mirrors and Spinning Wheels: The Anatomy of Fairy Tales” exhibition at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. And until August 20th you can visit the […]
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