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I’m a Cardiff-based multidisciplinary creative practitioner, proudly holding my pencils wrong since I could scrawl!

A young girl with short light brown hair, wearing a pink and white striped long-sleeve shirt, sitting at a table with a paper and pen, smiling at the camera. In the background, there is a window with a calendar and holiday cards, and floral curtains.

I grew up near Reading, UK, where I spent almost every spare moment drawing and crafting. I'd burn through paper (figuratively speaking) and then wait impatiently for my parents to top up my supplies.

Despite my early love of drawing, I took the long way round to reach illustration. At Cardiff University I studied architecture, then spent several years working as an architect in London. I discovered illustration almost by accident, as a mindfulness exercise to alleviate the stresses of my job, but it soon became my creative passion. I retrained through self-led studies as well as short courses at CityLit and Make Art That Sells.

Since joining The Plum Agency in 2018, I've illustrated over twenty children's books across picture book, chapter book and middle grade sectors, including five titles I've written myself.

My architectural background and understanding of storytelling combine in my mural work. In 2026, I completed an interactive art trail for Morriston Hospital in Swansea. I'm experienced in working within regulated and sensitive environments and comfortable collaborating with multidisciplinary teams from initial consultation through to final installation.

I also deliver school and festival events for primary-aged pupils: interactive author and illustrator sessions that explore character design, visual and verbal storytelling, empathy, and the big feelings that make us who we are.

And in other news…

  • Two women holding books and colorful markers, smiling, with the text 'Friends & Whispers Podcast' above them.

    Friends with Pens Podcast

    Fellow illustrator, Elissa Elwick, and I have a podcast – perfect for those who enjoy conversations about children's books, illustration, character design, animation, and 80s and 90s nostalgia!

    LISTEN HERE
  • A woman with short purple hair is smiling and holding a glass award in her hands. She is wearing a blue sports jersey with red accents and medals around her neck, standing outdoors on grass with a large tree and parked cars in the background.

    Let's play ball

    When I’m not at my desk scrawling or scribing, you will almost certainly find me with one of my softball teams trying my best to hit the ball.

  • A watercolor painting of a tree with twisting branches, featuring green, yellow, and blue hues, laid on a wooden surface surrounded by watercolor tubes, paints, and brushes.

    Sketchbooking

    I welcome rainy Sundays as it gives me the perfect excuse to dabble at some mixed media sketching. You can see more on my Instragram profile.

    @JOLINDLEYDRAWS
  • Several cardboard cat houses painted with cartoon cat faces, with one black and white cat partly inside one of the houses, and green leaves of a plant in the foreground.

    Still crafting

    Give me a procrastination project anyday. What else was I to do with all those empty boxes?!

Two black and white cats sitting on a desk in front of a window with yellow curtains. There are books, papers, and a printer on the desk, along with a blue desk lamp and some photographs on the wall.

Employees‍ ‍Bosses of the month:

Coco and Belle