Bespoke paintings to commemorate your placenta + honor your full experience

The Amazing Placenta

The placenta is a magical, mysterious, + ephemeral organ — the only one humans can grow, discard, + grow again. It exists only temporarily, developing soon after conception.

During that time it plays the crucial role of several organs, providing complete nourishment + protection for a growing pregnancy.

We all have one (or more), whether we ourselves were tethered to it in utero, or we grew it inside our womb during a pregnancy (that resulted in a live birth or not).

Each placenta is totally unique; It never existed before + never will again. Your placenta is a fractal representation of your unique, complex human experience.

painting as a way to honor

I started painting placentas after the birth of my son, as an effort to reconcile with my own placenta. It had essentially shut down due to severe preeclampsia, causing an early emergency delivery.

As I healed + my son grew, I reflected on the work my placenta had done to bring him to me, + yet the danger it had put us both in. Painting was a therapeutic process of healing that rift while enabling me to re-imagine my placenta in its vast + beautiful complexity.

As humans, meaning-making + ritualization are core to integrating big experiences + finding peace to move forward.

This applies whether you’ve given birth recently or decades ago, whether you’ve experienced loss in the form of miscarriage, stillbirth, or infertility, or perhaps are not planning to carry a pregnancy or want to revisit your own birth.

I am honored to offer my paintings as a heartfelt way to hold space for you, rendering the fullness + complexity of your experience.

I view placentas as not just literal but energetic + potential. Whether you are seeking to commemorate or reconcile with your placenta, the process coupled with the painting itself offer a unique opportunity to re-imagine, heal, + celebrate.

Each painting honors the magical, crucial, + fleeting work done by your placenta + you.

See examples of placentas I’ve painted for others below + here.

Read more about my own placenta experience here and my background here.

how we work together

Click ‘placenta painting’ here or below to begin the process. Customized paintings are $375 including shipping and fees.
You’ll be asked to reflect + share the following, which will inform + inspire the painting:
- Is this for a live birth, a loss, your own birth, or something else?
- Date of event whose placenta you’d like painted
- What do you know, imagine, or remember about your placenta?
- What else would you like Jess to know about your experience?
Once you check-out, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to set up an optional 25-minute call with Jess to fill in any gaps about your story. Here is where you can share more…
Jess also offers deeper 1:1 womb healing sessions if you are navigating any aspects of loss, pregnancy, postpartum, or anywhere in-between. These are mindful, trauma-informed spaces for witnessing, exploring, and meditating on any facet experience and totally customized to you. These are held on Zoom or in-person in the Los Angeles area. You can choose this as an add-on as you check out, or email jessmack@gmail.com to set up.
Once your reflections about your placenta are received, Jess will spend dedicated time processing + meditating on what you have shared in order to begin painting your unique placenta.
You’ll receive confirmation once your painting has been shipped. It should arrive to you within 4-6 weeks after it is started.

What media do you use?
Watercolor + occasionally oil pastel, googly eyes, glitter or gold leaf. If you have a request for a particular medium, let me know!
How much is a painting?
$375 with shipping and fees. I donate a portion of proceeds to support reproductive justice in the form of abortion funding + support for pre- and postnatal care for Black women and POC.
What size / kind of paper is it?
9x12” 140 lb 100% cotton paper
Do I have to have a call with you?
No, this is optional! It can be helpful to provide me with a bit more context as I begin your painting. This is a brief information gathering call. If you’re looking for a more mindfully held + supportive space to process anything coming up, that would be through a 1:1 womb healing session over Zoom. This can be added on during check-out.
Can you make a larger / smaller size?
Probably, yes! This may impact cost + timeline. Email jessmack@gmail.com to inquire.
How do I order multiple paintings?Simply go through the check-out process for each painting you would like to order.
What will it look like?
We won’t know until we begin! Paintings are intuitively channeled based on your experience, offering an abstract re-interpretation of your placenta. What you share will inform the color palette + any mixed-media.
Can I request colors or style?
Paintings are not meant to be literal nor dictated by specific design preferences. (So, they are not exactly commissions) However, if you have very strong color preferences or visions, please include these within your reflections + I will absolutely do my best to accommodate.
How + when will it arrive?
Paintings are uniquely titled, signed, + dated. They will arrive within 4-6 weeks from when they are started; They are shipped in a protective sleeve and encased in cardboard, mailed via USPS. A delivery confirmation will be provided.
Is this just for new parents?
No! This interactive, ritualistic painting experience can commemorate a placenta from a birth long ago, a loss, or even be energetic / theoretical.
Email jessmack@gmail.com with any other questions.