I was recently interviewed by Laura from Little Miss Homes for the Artist Spotlight feature on her blog.
Her blog is so delightful and I wanted to share her interview with you on my blog too.
I have a very special Artist Spotlight to share with you today – the incredibly talented Jessica Zoob. I absolutely adore her work and dream of filling our home with her beautiful work. The journey to where she is now is a fascinating one and she has some hugely exciting collaborations in the pipeline, which I can’t wait to hear more about! Like me she adores the coast and countryside and you can really see these inspirations come through in her work…
Did you always want to be a designer/artist and how did you begin working as one?
As a teenager I was lucky enough to work with an amazing costume maker called Suzanna Wilson, I assisted her making the most fantastic costumes for The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, films and west end musicals. I will never forget passing pins in the fitting room for Darcy Bustle’s first ever Juliet costume. I think we were both about 14 at the time. This is a rather long winded way of saying that my first love was Theatre Design and that was what I trained as and was my first career. After the birth of my gorgeous daughters I decided that painting was a better way for me to fulfil my creative passion and not always be in a different city from them. I started painting full time in January 2000 and have never looked back. I really feel that this was what I was meant to do!
Where do you find your inspiration for your work?
Everywhere I look I see beauty, I am so lucky to live in a really magical part of the country, the sea, sky and downs are constantly inspiring to me. I am also inspired by distressed textures, ancient walls, oil on water, faded fabrics, the list is almost endless!
What is the most exciting project you’ve worked on so far in your career?
Wow, that is a hard one, hearing the audience gasp when the curtains rose on any of my theatre designs was always heart stoppingly exciting. Filling the Alexandra Palace with a huge party instalation was a very big event. My first solo show on Cork Street I nearly died of nerves! However I think the most exciting project to date is the one I am working on now with my partner sculptor and furniture maker Karl Smith. We are developing an entirely new art form, where painting meets sculpture, meets jewellery, meets architecture, working in collaboration with Swarovski Crystals and we will be launching this product at Decorex this Autumn.
What are your career dreams and aspirations over the next few years?
I am currently working with Romo Fabrics and they will be launching the Jessica Zoob Collection of textiles, wallpapers, cushions and possibly rugs next January so I am very excited about that. I have huge plans and dreams for large scale versions of my new crystal creations so who knows where that might take me. I would love to take my work out to China as that is where I spent a lot of time as a student and it has been a huge influence in my work. I am also keen to show my work in New York and Bernard Jacobson has offered to help me find the right dealer out there so we will see. I am loving my new collaborations with Interior Designers, especially Intarya and Linley and am really looking forward to working with Mary Fox Linton in the near future.
Who is the most inspirational person you know?
My wonderful brother the filmmaker Tom Tyrwhitt. He is the bravest man I know.
What is your favourite space in your home?
My beautiful new extension, just a tiny space but full of light and reflections and just under the skylights so I can see and hear the rain falling.
Where is your most inspirational place, home or away?
Anywhere I can see the sea will always make me happy.
If you could own any home away from home, which would it be?
A tiny little completely remote croft in the middle of a wild dramatic landscape.
What’s your most treasured belonging?
I have a few, but probably it would have to be a dolls house that Karl made for me with a miniature Zoob Gallery hidden inside.
What’s your favourite way to spend the weekend?
Going on long walks and having picnics on the beach. There is nothing quite like a cup of tea on top of a mountain! Guaranteed to make me smile!
What is your favourite thing about living in the UK?
The countryside, it is unbelievably beautiful.
Thanks for commenting on our fb page, which led me to have a good nose around your work – looks amazing. Do keep in touch about your upcoming projects. Jill x