MEET THE ARTIST
Jesseca Lou
For over thirteen years I have created original pet loss artwork shaped by love, memories and an ode to the animals that leave a mark on our lives.
MY STORY
Where It Began
The first loss that shaped my work was Bullseye back in 2008, the dog who kept me safe, steady and seen during some of the most formative years of my life. His absence left me with feelings I didn’t yet have the words to explain in a world that didn't understand.
Art became the place that could hold what grief could not put into words.
Months later, Roo came into my life. She became my soul dog, my muse and the heart behind so much of what LadybugArt would become. She remained beside me until her passing in 2021.
Losing Roo changed both me and my work. I understood more deeply that memorial art isn’t about reproducing how an animal looked it is about remembering how it felt to be loved by them.
“Art became the place that could hold what grief could not put into words.”
THE WORK
More Than a Painting
Every piece I create begins with the details that made them who they were.
A favourite place. A battered old toy. The way they waited by the door. The expression only you recognised. The small, ordinary memories that become everything once they are gone.
I bring those stories together through pencil, paint and familiar symbols including halos, stars, flowers and light. The result is not simply a portrait, but an original piece of art created to hold their character, their story and the place they still occupy in your life.
Over the past thirteen years, I have created hundreds of memorial artworks now held in homes around the world.
A PLACE FOR EVERY NAME
The Memory Garden
I created the first interactive pop-up Memory Garden so people could do more than simply look at a memorial.
Visitors are invited to write their animal’s name, add it to the garden, share a memory and have real conversations about the animals they have loved. It is a colourful, welcoming place where grief can be acknowledged while their lives are celebrated in that moment.
The Memory Garden also lives online, creating a permanent place where anyone, anywhere in the world can add an animal’s name and ensure they are remembered. The virtual garden now holds more than 6,000 names.
I welcome collaborations with festivals, events, charities, pet organisations and communities that would like to bring the Memory Garden to the people they serve.
SELECTED FEATURES & APPEARANCES
Seen, Heard and Shared
LadybugArt and the Memory Garden have been shared through broadcasts, publications, podcasts and events that recognise pet loss as a profound and valid human experience.
