About Jane

I am an Australian artist living and working in Deal, Kent. My figurative paintings channel mood and movement using gestural lines and brushstrokes.

Each painting begins with a series of drawings which help me understand and connect with my subject. I then paint in acrylic and gouache, using fluid strokes to create striking silhouettes of animals and people.

I’m inspired by the authenticity of folk art. What I find most absorbing is the way in which it’s possible to capture the spirit and character of your subject using only a few lines and a dynamic palette of colours.

I began drawing and painting in 2019 and credit Japan with my understanding of mark making. While living in Japan I practiced calligraphy with a Japanese master. It was a formative experience, emphasising economy of line and the potential for meaning to be present in a single brushstroke.

I studied Archaeology in Australia, and worked with Aboriginal artists in the Central Desert before winning a scholarship to study prehistoric design at the University of Cambridge. This background in ancient and indigenous art is now an essential resource for my own work.

Exhibitions

2024

March - April - ‘Bestiary’, Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield
March - ‘Figurative‘ Virtual Art Exhibition, Blue Koi Gallery: awarded an Honourable Mention
February - ‘Figuration’ Virtual Art Exhibition, Gallery Omnibus, Dresden

2023
December - Winter Group show, The Folkestone Art Gallery, Folkestone
December - The Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal
November - The Guildford House Open, Guildford House Gallery, Guildford
November - ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
November - ‘We Are The Witches’, The House of Smalls, Chipping Campden
November - ‘Hi, Hey, Hello’, Fresh Salad Art Online Virtual Gallery Show and Physical Exhibition, Dog and Bone Gallery, Brighton
November - ‘My Animals’, Gallery Omnibus, Dresden
June - South East Artists Open Studios
April - Spring Group Show, The Folkestone Art Gallery, Folkestone
March - ‘Mirage’, South East Arts Society with Linden Hall Studio, Deal

2022
December - The Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal
November - ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
August - ‘Collaborations’, Goodnestone Park with Linden Hall Studio

2021
December - The Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal

2020
December - The Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal
November - ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
October - ‘Cut & Paste’, Linden Hall Studio, Deal

2019
December - The Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal
November - ‘Outsider Art’, Deal Castle, Kent
September - ‘Triptych’, Mileage, Kent