We are thrilled to welcome Jessica Ann Leffley of Bird Girl Creations as our recipient of the Sydney SS25 Indigenous Program! As an artist, author, and educator, she brings creativity, passion, and a deep love for nature to everything she does. Jess’s work celebrates Australian fauna, storytelling, and sustainability, aligning perfectly with The Finders Keepers’ mission to support First Nations makers and their amazing talents. We can’t wait for you to meet her, see her beautiful creations, and hear the stories behind them at Carriageworks this November 14-16.
You juggle being an artist, author, and primary school teacher. How do these different roles feed into one another, and what does a “day in your creative life” look like?
Wearing many hats means my schedule is a bit haphazard, ridiculous and often humorous. I’ve been working towards being a full-time artist, so I have scaled back my teaching work to one day a week. I have a three-year-old treasure called Ziggy whose creative endeavours and energy occupy a lot of my brain space, but when daycare allows, I’m feverishly making, lesson planning, emailing, and visiting my besties at the post office to post orders. Like many creatives, the dining table takes the primary role of workspace, when Ziggy first used the walls as a canvas… let’s just say I couldn’t blame her because mum does it all the time!
Your first children’s book, ‘I is for Ibis’, has been a huge success, selling over 1,000 copies. What has it meant to you to see families connecting with your stories and illustrations?
The success of I is for Ibis has honestly taken me by surprise! I originally created it post partum, and by that I mean the day I came home with my baby for the first time and was already busting to make her something. It’s brought great joy, and many highlights for our little family; when Ziggy got her first book, seeing it stocked in many local shops, being invited to my old school as a GUEST AUTHOR to talk to kids during book week and of course, sending Sir David Attenborough a copy to which he hand-wrote a thank you note acknowledging my efforts. That letter was a real *squeal* and the note is framed, hung next to my first prize certificate for mustard pickles at the Lithgow Show.
You’re planning to launch your next book, ‘Curious Cockatoos’, at The Finders Keepers. What can readers and little ones look forward to in this new story?
Alas, my creative energies are often challenged by the restrictions of real life and time. Whilst the illustrations are complete and the text is almost edited, I’ve decided to give the book a little more room to breathe to make it just right. Whilst the book will be available for pre-order, I am excited to share that I’ve been feverishly working on a list of new products to share with The Finders Keepers community, new Christmas card design, original artworks and for the first time, some ‘Paint your own’, Australian fauna Christmas decoration kits!
Sustainability is important to you, from hand-painting earrings to choosing recycled materials where possible. Why is this part of your practice, and how do you bring that value into your work?
My love for simplicity has driven me to use as many sustainable products as possible. As an art teacher, the lack of resources has often made it essential to get creative with activities. Recycling materials is a great way to involve kids in meaningful practice and to understand the importance of repurposing for creativity. As a small business owner, waste represents a significant loss! So, anything I can create from what I already have goes a long way. I also ensure that the new products I make last a lifetime while not impacting the environment or the birds I love so much.
What can market-goers expect to discover at your stall in Sydney – any favourites you think they should keep an eye out for?
I am in the process of designing the stall to highlight the expanse of products I have available: greeting cards, brooches, earrings, necklaces, magnets, badges, large prints, framed prints, original artworks, children’s books, painting kits… something for every person and budget!
What questions do you want our market-goers to ask you?
I’m a bit of a yarner, up for any chat or topic. Birds, so many birds, big birds, small birds, any birds. Bring all your bird yarns.