BRUSHSTROKES AND BEGINNINGS: How Jessica Buckley Found Her Creative Calling

It all started with a classroom art lesson. Years ago, Jessica Buckley was teaching pre-K through 8th grade students about collage when a simple project—magazine birds on sheet music—sparked something deeper. “Eventually, I started making my own collage birds on vintage sheet music for friends as wedding gifts,” she recalls. What began as a heartfelt hobby quietly planted the seeds for something much more.

Fast forward nearly a decade, and a craft fair at her son’s daycare became the unexpected launchpad for Jessica’s creative resurgence. “I had never set up at a market before, but decided this would be a great way to push myself to start creating art again,” she says. Determined to prepare a collection of her signature collage birds, she also decided, on a whim, to try her hand at watercolor. That last-minute experiment turned into a full-blown love affair with the medium.

Today, Jessica’s work includes original watercolor paintings, magazine collages, greeting cards, prints, coasters, stickers, and tote bags, all capturing the vibrant beauty of Hawaiʻi’s landscapes and flora. Her pieces are soft, layered, and full of heart—like postcards from a slower, more intentional way of living.

But perhaps her most joyful offering comes not from a canvas, but from a gathering space: her home. After hosting regular watercolor nights with friends, Jessica began teaching small group classes, creating a space for adults to unwind, explore creativity, and reconnect with play. “They gave me the nudge I needed to get back into teaching—but this time to adults who needed a way to unwind from the daily grind,” she says. “I’m loving sharing my knowledge with these small groups and showing others how fun and easy watercolor can be.”

If there’s a thread running through Jessica’s story, it’s connection—whether to creativity, memory, or each other. At local markets, customers are often drawn to a particular piece not just for its aesthetic beauty, but because it reminds them of someone they love or a place they once called home. “I think the magic behind my art is its ability to spark a memory or bring people together,” she says. “I’m humbled when I learn how meaningful my art can be to someone.”

Her creative process reflects that same sense of care. Jessica begins each painting with a great source photo—an easy task, she says, thanks to the endless inspiration Hawaiʻi provides. From there, it’s a meditative layering process: starting light and slowly building depth, detail, and color. “As a busy mom, I almost never finish a painting in one sitting. Honestly, I think that’s helpful for my process,” she adds. “I find it necessary to step away and look at it with fresh eyes.”

Her cards—blank inside so that they can be personalized for any occasion—carry a gentle message: slow down, connect, and send a little beauty someone’s way. “Some customers are what I call ‘card hoarders’—they buy a pretty card and don’t want to part with it,” she laughs. “But don’t let your favorite cards live in a drawer! A handwritten note can bring so much joy.”

For Jessica, inspiration is never far. “If I went through all my source photos from Hawaiʻi of things I’d love to paint someday, I think I’d be busy for the next 20+ years,” she says. She finds magic in the mundane - flowers in gutters, light on the mountains, and ocean waves curling along the shore. One of her favorite traditions? Surprising neighbors with prints of flowers growing outside their homes. “It’s a small act of kindness that brings joy to me and the plant owners.”

Through her art as Carolina Chickadee Co., Jessica reminds us that beauty is everywhere, and that taking the time to notice, celebrate, and share is an act of creativity in itself.

Shop her prints at shopywca.com today to have a stunning piece in your home.