It’s time for our next Featured Student! For May we are featuring:

Jennifer Thornhill

Instagram: @jenniferthornhillillo

Hey Folks - For those that haven’t yet met Jennifer on the SVS forum, here’s an opportunity to get to know one of your fellow students! Most of you will recognize her amazing Riley illustration she did for Critique Arena a couple months ago. Now’s your chance to see more of her work and hear a bit about life in Canada!

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To start out, tell us a little bit about yourself - where you are from and currently live, family details (including pets of course) and how you spend most of your time.

I grew up in a very small town in Northern Ontario. (Really small... the population was only 400!) The area is known as “Cottage Country” and is the border of Algonquin Park. Growing up I played outside a lot and spend a lot of time in the woods. My twin sister and I were always into art and enjoyed all kinds of creative activities. About 14 years ago, I moved south with my husband and 3 boys. We live in Grafton, Ontario, which is about 1.5 hours east of Toronto and right on the shore of Lake Ontario. My boys are John (26) Davy (23) and Ryan (13). We also have a very cute, but horribly bad black kitten named Shady (Short for Nightshade Furbottom O’Chanter, Fans of The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham will understand the reference.)


What’s your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? What did you love most? 

My absolute favourite place in the world is the Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Before the pandemic, my husband and I would go to Tennessee each year, rent a mountain top cabin, and spend a week photographing black bears. Of course one of my favourite parts of this trip is the week away with my husband, but I also love the food!

Here’s a three-part, short answer question: Books or Movies? Sushi or Pizza? Relaxing Walks or Strenuous Hikes? 

Books... I read a lot and hardly ever watch movies. When I do it is the movie of a book I really liked. Pizza... I have never eaten sushi. Relaxing walks are preferable, but I will not say no to a strenuous hike if there is something at the end I want to see. 

What are some of your other hobbies besides making art? 

There are really way too many to list. Aside from working on illustrations, I spend most of my time doing wildlife photography. I also enjoy writing, cooking, and all kinds of creative activities. 


Who are some of your favorite artists? How have they inspired you? 

The first illustrator I remember being really inspired by is Brenda Clark, who illustrated the Franklin the turtle series. (It might be a Canadian thing...?) I loved her paintings and would try to recreate them from the books I read my kids. Another book that really influenced me was “Something from Nothing” Written and illustrated by Phoebe Gilman. The thing about this book that really stuck with me was the story that the pictures tell, which is not in the text. It is a story about a boy who gets a blanket from his grandfather as a baby. As the boy grows, the blanket wears out, and the grandpa sews it into a coat, then a vest, then a handkerchief, and eventually a button. Each time he cuts away the access fabric, the mice under the floorboards collect the scraps and use them in their house. By the end of the book, the boy has only a memory, but the mice have a fully furnished house.  The mice are never mentioned in the text. It was really this book that made me think I wanted to be an illustrator, I have always liked to write, but when I realized how much storytelling the illustrator gets to do, I knew that was the job for me. 


In terms of being a professional illustrator, what recommendations can you give with regard to young artists attempting to forge their path in this field? 

My advice is to not spend a lot of time trying to figure out what your style is. Don’t waste time trying to draw what everyone else is drawing. Draw the things you like. Draw them with the materials you like to use. Paint with the colors that make you happy. This is your style. You can only find it by being yourself. 


What’s your own practice as an artist look like? Early riser? Night owl? Do you have set times of the day you work? Are you more productive in a certain space? And what about inspiration?

Some days I am an illustrator and some days I am a photographer. It depends on the weather. On days when I am out all day taking pictures, I usually work on illustration in the evening as well. On days when I am illustrating, I usually get up around 7, drink a lot of coffee, and then move to my desk, where I will usually stay until I need to get up and make dinner.  I don’t have a really strict schedule, but I usually give myself a goal to reach each day, and work until at least that is done. I have a separate room in my house where I have my desk, computer, art supplies, etc. I am much more productive working here, away from the distractions of the tv and what everyone else is doing. I do a lot of online illustration classes, and will usually have a video playing while I work. I re-watch a lot of classes and find that it helps to keep me on task, and keeps me inspired to create. I love to watch how other people work. 

We’d love to see some of your work. Can you share 5 or 6 pieces with us?

Jennifer, thanks so much for sharing part of your story with us. In addition to seeing more of your illustration work, I’m also excited to see more of your great wildlife photography! Hope the rest of your 2022 is full of joy, creativity and fun in the outdoors!

Featured students are selected from our amazing group of members! Want a chance to improve your illustration skills? Become an SVSLearn member today for 14 days with our free trial and take the next step on your journey to becoming a working illustrator.