Jacqueline Wild: Half Selkie, All Magic

Today I wanted to share with you the work of an artist who has captivated me for years. It has long fascinated me to see the ways, large and flamboyant or small and subtle, that an artist or creative transforms their own life and surroundings into an extension of their creativity and personal magic. One of my absolute favorite examples of this is the artist Jacqueline Wild.

Jacqueline Wild lives in a small 140-year-old miner’s cottage in Cornwall, near Lands End. She describes it as a beautiful area close to the ocean and ancient stones like Men an Tol and the Merry Maidens. And every single day of the year that she can, Jacqueline swims in the ocean.

“It’s my escape and my balance,” she explains. “Otherwise I’d probably just work!”

Living where she does at the tip of Cornwall, Jacqueline can go from the north to south coast in twenty minutes, and has any choice of harbors, tide pools, and bays depending on what the weather is doing. She gets into the water year round, but admits that in winter, when the water temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius, 50 degrees Fahrenheit, “it becomes more of a swim and then a dip.” While in the ocean, Jacqueline takes extraordinary pictures of her adventures, some of which I am sharing here.

Jacqueline’s preferred medium is digital art. She works on her iPad using the Procreate app and an Apple pencil. But the handmade aspect of her work shines through in every piece she creates. “I find that it works well with how my mind works. I’m glad that procreate doesn’t use any ai features as I feel that makes it a more soulful and connected process.” She has also been known to create lino prints, which she finds to be a very addictive craft.

And of course, given her love for the ocean, it will surprise no one that her creations feature not just the animals and nature found on the good green earth of England, but the creatures of the ocean as well.

I asked Jacqueline about any memorable encounters she might have had in the water during her forays into the sea.

“I’ve had a few memorable experiences in the water! My seal encounters have been incredible - so wonderful to have had some close encounters and feel their whiskers around my ankles. I love how friendly and curious they are. Exploring underwater and taking photos is a real source of joy for me - it is always a surprise but also every time is a feeling of coming home to myself.”

Being friends with Jacqueline on social media means that I regularly get to hear about her close encounters with nature, but sometimes they are too close for comfort. For instance, this recent experience she had that was incredible and terrifying. It yielded incredible images though!

“Well that was the most intimidating snorkel I’ve ever had! I really wanted to get some photos of these mauve stingers but I was hoping to encounter just one or two. I nearly swam head first into one about 1 minute after getting in the water and quickly realised that there were so many! I thought that it was probably just a localised patch and so I had a little dive further out to see if there was a break at all. Although the adults were present here and there, it was all the orange babies that really freaked me out as they were everywhere.

I tried my dive and swim approach to another patch a few times to discover the whole harbour was full of them and after getting stung on the lip I thought it best to head back. It felt pretty full on to be so surrounded and yet the water was glorious and the visibility was great. I knew that there was a seal out there too so it was a tough decision to call it a day.

I inadvertently lifted an orange baby out of the water on my hand and I felt like we both screamed because it stung me hard! At that stage I was very ready to get back onto land!

My stings aren’t too bad but I think I was pretty lucky to just have those encounters with young ones - I’d imagine that adult’s stings pack quite a punch.

(I was very happy to see some crystal jellyfish too - it was nice to feel safe with them!)”

Jacqueline Wild makes a new lunar calendar artwork for each coming year, and I think this year’s, inspired by seals and Selkie folk, might be my absolute favorite. She kindly sent me one, and I didn’t realize until it was in my hands how vivid the colors would be, how shimmering the silver foil, and of course how stunning the art. Please believe me when I say that shiny silver against the deep blue is pure magic in and of itself.

You can find Jacqueline’s lunar calendar, along with so many other beautiful prints and cards, on her Etsy site here. Jacqueline is also currently giving away three calendars on her Instagram and Facebook right now. The giveaway is set to end on the new moon November first.

I’ll leave the last word to her. I asked Jacqueline if she could tell me a few of her thoughts about magic and wonder.

“I find it strange that most people think that magic is something created in the imagination - that it is only something from the realm of fantasy and doesn’t really exist. For me magic is tied to nature and the incredible mysteries of the world. We rely so strongly on what we can see and test but magic lies in our very existence, living on this beautiful planet with a moon that consistently affects the tides. There are so many things that I learn that amaze me, but sometimes it’s just the simplest of moments connecting to the energy of the day and breathing it in.”