Zoe’s work begins long before it becomes a finished piece.

Inspired by folklore, symbolism, and the quiet ritual of ink on paper, she creates magical hand-drawn illustrations, stories, puzzles, oracle decks, and immersive creative worlds.

With a love of fairy tales, old books, and the timeless charm of a dip pen and pot of ink, Zoe’s process is rooted in slow creativity — where sketches, fragments of ideas, and small details gradually transform into something more.

Through her work as The Inky Alchemist, she invites others into that in-between space: the place where stories unfold, symbols connect, and imagination takes shape.

Raised on a small Scottish croft in rural Aberdeenshire, Zoe’s imagination was shaped early by folklore, wild landscapes, and a deep love of books. She studied Illustration at Dundee University’s renowned Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design before her lifelong obsession with stories (and owning far too many books) led her to complete a postgraduate degree in Publishing at the University of Plymouth.

She later worked in London as both an illustrator and book designer for a publishing house, combining her love of visual storytelling with the world of books and print.

For twenty years, Zoe has worked as an illustrator, creating intricate hand-drawn artwork filled with symbolism, narrative, and quiet magic. Now based in her studio on the picturesque Isle of Wight, she draws endless inspiration from island life, nature, and the beauty of the everyday—transforming the ordinary into something richer, stranger, and more enchanting.

Alongside illustration, she writes her own fantasy stories and fairytales, creates oracle decks, puzzles, colouring pages, and is currently developing future projects including board games, tarot decks, and immersive creative worlds through her work as The Inky Alchemist.

When she’s not covered in black ink or lost in a fairy tale, Zoe can usually be found foraging for natural materials to make her own inks and paints, swimming in the sea during summer, or learning to freedive along the island’s coastline. She shares her studio with her familiar, Whisper, and can often be spotted driving around the island in her bright yellow Beetle, Olive—fully embracing the slower, wilder magic of island life.

Her recent clients include Ravensburger, Blue Angel Publishing, Oxford University Press, and Southampton Hospitals Charity.