For our next children's book "Bettina Creates a Garden", we needed a creative page where some story text could go. Here's the artistic evolution of this illustration page.

Jean also paints wooden boxes. She first covers them with paper upon which she draws and then paints, creating three-dimensional pieces of artwork.

Jean uses gouache paint as her chosen medium, which is very similar to tempera. Often, gouache and tempera are interchanged and are even listed together on Jean’s paint tubes, however, they do differ.

This is how Jean created her Year of the Rat (2020) pop-up card.

The Medieval cityscapes painted by extraordinary Italian artists have always been a great inspiration to Jean's architectural paintings.

Smart, kind, easy-going and reserved, those born in the Year of the Sheep/Goat have a love of harmony and prefer co-existence to confrontation. The serene and sincere Sheep or Goat will use their sensitive and considerate ways to provide stability in their quest for balance.

Jean has always appreciated Hiroshige’s creative use of colour and his ability to combine minimalist designs with detailed patterns.

The Horse is the seventh animal in the twelve-year Asian Zodiac cycle. Those born in the Year of the Horse are always in motion on an endless search. The Horse may reach the 'ends of the universe', but will, nonetheless, keep moving on.

Jean has always been inspired to paint chairs as they remind her of past homes and journeys.

Living in Seoul, South Korea, during the early 70s, Jean was introduced to Korean folk art. This style of naïve artwork was very graphic in design.

Jean's many teapot designs are often inspired by her teapot collection, each one different, depending on the type of tea brewing – from Chinese jasmine to English Breakfast to Japanese green tea.

Jean was commissioned to paint an Umbrian landscape with Antognolla Castle.

Using a series of photographs of the castle Jean drew various sketches, which finally resulted in the following drawing.

The Snake is the sixth animal in the twelve-year Asian Zodiac cycle.

The design of our children's book, "Leo's Birthday Adventure" was somewhat of a challenge for various reasons.