Writer. Painter. Illustrator. Jessie King Regunberg

Jessie King Regunberg is a beachcomber, artist, and writer from Washington, DC. Ever since she was very little, Jessie has loved to swim and walk along the shore to find shells and other treasures.

Jessie’s favorite beaches are in the Northeast, in places like Amagansett, New York, and the beautiful cliffs on the coast of Maine. Her all-time favorite beach, however, is Amoudi Bay in Santorini, Greece, where she spent her honeymoon. She remembers relaxing on the beautiful rocky coast while her husband cliff jumped.

When she’s not at the beach, Jessie is a talented painter, illustrator, and writer. She paints whatever brings her joy. Though her colorful pieces of work depict a wide variety of subjects, nature and coastal life often plays a major role. She loves incorporating found objects like sea-worn bottle caps into her work, and has even done miniature paintings on sea glass.

Though Jessie spent her childhood making art and expressing her creativity, she says that after high school she sort of lost touch with that artistic passion. After earning her Masters in American History and starting work on her dissertation, she had her first and second child. She lost interest in her PhD program and returned to art and writing.

“I only very recently (like a year ago!) found my way back to making art, and only now am I confident in calling myself an artist,” says Jessie.

Now, Jessie makes art every day and sells commissioned works on Etsy and through social media. In addition to this, she also writes children’s books, keeps up a blog, and still works as a full-time mother. “I run after my three children (two boys and a little girl, all under 6), drive them from activity to activity, and try to keep them fed! 

“I am inspired by treasures, big and small—especially those that have special meaning to me or others. I often paint Judaica (Jewish items), which are important to me personally and culturally. But my absolute favorite subjects to paint are all the wonderful antiques at my grandmother’s house. 

You can find more of Jessie’s art and writing on her website at jessiekingregunberg.com and purchase prints from her Etsy shop at JessieKingRegunberg.etsy.com.

This article appeared in the Beachcombing Magazine July/August 2021 issue.