It was a summer full of surprises for local artist Jenna Paddey.
In June, there was a sudden and very large increase in traffic on her Instagram page after Britney Spears shared one of Paddey’s illustrations.
“This was quite a big thing and it was definitely a big surprise,” Paddey says.
The illustration was of a golden bee with a crown above it which Paddey created with gouache paint and metallic watercolour.
Paddey said that the original intention of the work was just drawn on a whim, a play on words like queen bee, just something for fun.
The original art was shared in 2018.
But things exploded after Spears shared the artwork with a caption reading ‘To all my fans who call me Queen B…I believe this would be more accurate…!’
Paddey was tagged in the post which received more than 224,000 likes and over 15,000 comments on Spears’ page.
Since then, life has certainly changed for the young artist who recently left her job to pursue her dream, to create illustrations full-time.
“I was doing illustrations on the side for the past few months. While I was at university, I did commissioned-based projects as well as at my full-time job. But this year, I felt I could finally stand alone, and here I am, on my own,” Paddey said.
“This has been my dream.”
Paddey is an artist, graphic designer, and freelance illustrator with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Guelph.
She works with her clients to bring ideas and imagery to life, for both commercial and privately commissioned projects. She has worked with numerous brands to create designs, illustrations and other creative works.
Paddey specializes in illustration, using both digital and traditional mediums, collage, photography and graphic design, but she enjoys a large array of creative practices.
“I get my inspiration from so many different areas, “she says.
“Much of it comes from travel and exploration from visiting different cities or countries and especially now during the pandemic, it’s from places I wish I could visit. I am also inspired by books and nature, just all over.”
As a child, Paddey says she spent hours burrowed in her bedroom sketching and bringing her ideas and dreams to life.
“I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember. This is how my mother kept me occupied. She would send me off with some crayons and I would go to town. I’ve always had a creative awareness, it was always my passion,” she said.
After moving from Mississauga six years ago, newly-engaged Paddey now makes her home in Guelph.
“I feel so blessed to take my dreams full-time,” she said.
And since her brush with Britney?
“It was so exciting and such a surprise. I’ve had a different client base come out of this and I have so many different types of followers now. It’s been such a journey since,” she said.
Paddey sees a world full of possibilities.
And with that, she continues to create.
“These projects keep me motivated and refreshed especially now during the pandemic. It inspires me to look for bigger things in the future,” Paddey said.
“Art does bring joy through imagery. And it’s been so wonderful to have such a response from people. It brings me a sense of joy, to be able to bring something to people that can make them happy.”
For more information about Jenna Paddey and her artwork, visit jpaddey.com/.
