JENNIFER GRACE ART

BIO

I was raised at Woolwich, between the Paramatta and Lane Cove Rivers in the post-war years of the1950s and 60s. At that time the area was industrial and it’s dry dock was used by the army.

I lived in Paris in the 70’s where I studied at the Sorbonne, exploring history of art, philosophy, literature and language. On returning to Australia I attended Sydney College of the Arts at Balmain.

After raising a family in the 80’s, I completed a Bachelor of Fine Art degree at the University of Newcastle in the 90’s, then lived again in France and other countries before settling in the Clarence Valley in 2016. I now live and work at my home-studio, The Art-House in Yamba, N.S.W.

Growing up on Sydney Harbour, I developed a fascination with the patterns made by reflection on the water. This passion expanded to include fractals, manifestations of the Fibonacci sequence and the energy patterns of plants and their healing potential for human physiology and psychology.  This led me to study herbal medicine and homeopathy and to practice in this field for over 40 years. My love and respect for plants and their energy fields continues to underpin my visual language.  

To contact me or to receive updates from the studio please fill in this form.

MY ART PRACTICE

In childhood our innate spiritual wisdom connects us to the natural world. In time our sense of unity of being and wonder at our surroundings becomes dampened by a culture that’s increasingly alienated from it. I believe we need to find a way back to our inner life. Art, music, literature, movement, and nature can be vehicles to take us there. Through a personal yet universal language of symbolism, allegory, allusion, metaphor and colour, I hope to awaken an awareness of the rift currently sapping the human spirit and a re-connection to the soul.

My paintings often reference the ethereal world of flowers, birds and the human form. These motifs recur as symbolic presences, alluding to the healing capacity of the inter-connectedness of all life forms, and our sanctioned role as caretakers of our earth.

My muse is my garden, the ocean, the river and the abundance of wild life surrounding me in the Clarence Valley.

PROCESS

My process begins with dry drawing media, such as charcoal, conte, graphite, pastel and coloured pencil on rabbit skin sized linen, canvas or board, using gestural expressive mark-making.

The palette is usually a triad of colours equally spaced on the colour wheel, or split complementary. Rarely do I use pure primary colours.

Water-based media are built up and disrupted through sanding, stamping, layering washes and re-drawing to arrive at a richly layered surface. Compositions emerge from a playful, intuitive and curious attitude that allows the story, emotion or concept to emerge.

The surface is subsequently developed with oil and cold wax, creating depth, opacity and translucency. The finished works hold evidence of excavation and accumulation, mirroring the layered nature of memory and perception as well as the struggle and the joy of it’s creation.

NOTE TO VISITORS

While this website is designed as a platform to offer my artwork and quality giclée prints to collectors, it is also a space for me to engage with an art loving audience in discussion around values and creativity.

To initiate a conversation, arrange a studio visit or give feedback please feel free to send me a message via the contact form.

With warm wishes, Jennifer.