I am Zara, a self-taught illustrator living on the South coast. I love nature and gather inspiration for my sketches from it. I enjoy visiting the beach or the nearby countryside of the South Downs, with my family, I collect ‘ideas’ as well as images and love creating stories for children.
I find illustrating a much needed, therapeutic outlet that helps me navigate my daily health challenges from living with a neurological disorder (which affects my mobility and causes other challenges). This has made me more resolute that those with disabilities should be represented in illustration and creative fields as they still have so much to offer.
When I am not illustrating, I love to spend time with my family, this includes my pets too. We have an English Shepherd dog called Marple and two guinea pigs named Cora and Cookie. The happiest family times are spent sharing a home cooked meal, or being outdoors together in nature. The photo below was taken on holiday in Devon (2019) and we love returning to this part of the country. However, my busy urban coastal town has plenty of nature too, you just have to look for it.
My artwork is my source of pleasure and creative inspiration. I love to make picture book images, design illustrations from photos and I am working on creating gifts with my illustrations.
“The emotion and thought Zara put into both paintings for me really shows. They are pieces of art I will always cherish and bring me joy. A truly talented painter.”
