Jessica Shellard was born in Bristol in 1964. To an art teacher mother and an architect father. She graduated from Bristol Polytechnic in 1988 with an BA honours Degree in Fine Art, specialising in sculpture. Later she trained as a woodcarver under the tutelage of Les Jewell, a member of the master carvers guild. 

She spent over 20 years carving figurative work, which specialised in positive and empowering, depictions of the female form and their juxtaposition with nature. At this time her influences, were largely that of Gauguin and the art of the Renaissance as well as, latterly, ships figureheads, which featured prominently. These works were exhibited across the UK including AAF and London's West End.

Throughout this time she taught art first at St Margaret's School in Exeter and then at Stoodley Knowle School in Torquay. At both schools she rose to be head of department. In 2011 St Margaret's School won the Saatchi prize the richest art prize in the world, for schools.

Following redundancy in 2015, she obtained an MA in drawing from Plymouth College of Art graduating in 2018.

During this MA her knowledge, range of influences and style of work has grown and changed. The female and nature, are still at the centre of the work, but instead of carving, she has become fascinated with sound and film. Using this to immerse her audience, ‘I want my viewer to experience the slow rhythms of nature and the little sounds that are one of the great joys of the being outside’.

She is currently interested in creating a film and soundscape that explores water. 

She is married and currently lives in Devon.