Jessica Rose Bird - Begg x Co Artist Corner
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Jessica Rose Bird is an award-winning Scottish artist and fashion illustrator based in London.
Jessica joined us on set for our “Dancing with the Elements” campaign, live-sketching the ballet dancer and Wispy scarf to capture their movement and fluidity, adding an expressive, artistic layer to our content.
From this collaboration, two original canvases were commissioned to celebrate the intersection of craft across disciplines. Both pieces are currently on display at our brand home in Burlington Arcade, London.
What made this project with Begg x Co feel creatively aligned with your work?
Aside from the obvious Scottish connection, the project was a culmination of so much that I love - sketching live, beautiful Scottish landscapes, drawing dance and responsible fashion/craft. The dream project!
Who or what are some of the creative influences that have shaped your illustration style?
Joan Eardley, Egon Schiele, Tracey Emin.
How do you approach live sketching differently from studio work? Can you tell us about your creative process?
You only have a very short time working live, especially from a subject in motion, so it becomes a free intuitive raw response. I am always trying to capture the energy of my subject in my work, whether that’s a beautiful changing landscape or a dancer. I like to work quickly and intuitively in response to what’s in front of me to translate that energy onto the page using techniques such as blind drawing, continuous line or mark making.
Can you tell us about the medium you chose for your live sketches during the Wispy shoot, and what drew you to it for this particular project?
I chose to primarily work in willow charcoal and an ink stick (activated with water from the lochs on the day!)- sketching among the elements I knew I wanted to work with natural mediums.
In our recent campaign, the Wispy scarf responds to the elements—flowing in the wind. How do you approach capturing that sense of softness and movement in a medium that’s inherently still?
I find charcoal is very responsive to my own energy and flow - you get an incredible versatility in line depending on how you use it and the pressure you apply. I can suggest form and weight with minimal marks.
Your live sketching captures fleeting moments. How important is spontaneity or instinct in your work?
It’s that i’m always trying to achieve in my work - to find, stay and share that connected moment with my subject, even if its brief.
The Wispy campaign was set against the Scottish landscape, and your sketches beautifully echoed that sense of place. Why do you think Scotland resonates so deeply with so many people, creatively and emotionally?
It’s wild, raw and the elements are very changeable. I think the landscape demands presence and I feel very connected to myself and my roots when I'm in nature in Scotland.
Did working with the ballet dancer (Amelia Townsend) bring a new dynamic to your creative process?
Amelia was a dream to work with, watching her move in such a beautiful way in that setting was truly mesmerising - almost becoming another element and part of the landscape.
Wispy Solid Superfine Cashmere Scarf
We’ve recently unveiled two of your original artworks -Dancing with the Elements I and Dancing with the Elements II - in our Burlington Arcade store in London. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind these pieces and how they connect to the Wispy campaign?
I noticed on the day of the shoot that my live sketches of Amelia dancing with the Wispy looked exactly like a Scottish landscape when I turned the orientation round. I loved this idea of the connection between the two elements, Amelia and the mountains, movement and stillness, human and earth - created in the same flowing breath, we are all connected. So the two artworks in the store work as two dancers with the wispy (portrait) and as two interpretations of the Scottish landscape they were created in (landscape) - they also merge into one larger landscape when hung together side by side.
What do you hope people feel or take away when they view your artworks in person in our Burlington Arcade store?
I hope they feel some sense of connection to the elements and the energy we all felt on that day in Glencoe.
Find Jessica here and on Instagram @jessicarosebird. Discover more from our 'Dancing with the Elements' campaign, featuring the iconic, patented Wispy Scarf.