Jenny Laidlaw

The start of 2019 began with 4 Thursdays in January having a stall at the NIghtJar Festival in Torquay, Victoria. Each market got bigger and more successful for me and meeting so many people and happy customers was hugely rewarding.
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I included the 99 piece children's puzzle "The Menagerie Flight" in my jigsaw puzzle range in January and it has been a very successful puzzle ever since! There are now 4 puzzles designs in my range. 
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I also brought another product into my range: A print of my alphabet series of letters.
Perfect for Childare centres, kindergartens and children's bedrooms!
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To finish up a busy January, I was commissioned to create a sign using my alphabet letters for "Torquay Toys". 

The below illustration was started in February and it has been something I keep going back to work on every now and then! Im finally in the finishing stages now........
I am using a Rotring pen and also a 0.05mm Staedtler pen. It is an ever growing creation and I am creating it just "because". It is my escapism.

March began with the commissioned artwork illustration for EDITION 19 of Crags Creature for The Ski Mag. I am supplied with the text/storyline and use my imagination to create the cartoon artwork for this "out there" cartoon story! I have been creating Crags Creature illustrations for close to 15 years and have a special bond with Crag.

As of now, I am concentrating on new original artworks for my upcoming Solo Exhibition at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy, Victoria in July.
This is going to be an exciting exhibition featuring the 26 framed original alphabet letters and also new pen and ink artworks with found objects.
​Stay tuned!!!

Since returning to Australia in March, (after spending 4 months in California), time has been flying by and its hard to believe its now winter!
Here is a visual run down of what I've been doing in my studio since March.....it's been a busy few months for me but I've loved every minute of being back in my studio again.
I am now currently working on my entry in the 2018 Maritime Art awards (The Mission to Seafarers Art Prize) and I am also planning a new series of artworks that will be part of an Open Edition series.
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In late November 2017, myself, my husband and our youngest daughter left Australia bound for California, for an amazing opportunity to live in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe, for 4 months.
My husband has a ski patrol position in the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol and we have had an incredible experience being in these mountains for the winter and exploring California and Oregon.
 As well as doing lots of skiing, cross country skiing and hiking, I have had the wonderful chance to rejuvenate my creative energy and be inspired by the area we are living in.
I have produced lots of new and exciting artworks that will be available as Original Artworks, Limited Edition Prints and greeting cards as soon as I return home to my Jan Juc studio mid march.

These recent artworks are all inspired by quotes...some famous, some well known and some not so well known. They have all been created on my lap in my makeshift studio here in the house we are staying in, in Squaw Valley, California.
​All images are Copyright Jenny Laidlaw 2018.

During our travels, here are some of the things that have caught my eye and inspired me for possible future artworks.

I apologise for my slackness in updating my blog! Life has been busy.
My eldest son, who is now 19, left last year in July (2016) for an extended no return date set travel experience overseas.....my eldest daughter is currently completing her International Baccalaureate, and my youngest daughter, Sierra started year 3 at a new school! I also have been managing Great Escape Books in Aireys Inlet and being able to combine my love of reading with my artwork has been a blessing!
Here is an update of my creative happenings over the last 11 months or so!!

I opened my art studio for the Surfcoast Arts Trail held over a full weekend. Hundreds of people came through my studio!

The Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Award was held in Docklands, Melbourne. This is the 4th year that my artwork has been selected and shortlisted for the prestigious exhibition and Art Prize. It was also my second year in a row where I have been a finalist in the Peoples Choice Award. My artwork is "The Light Will Guard Us, The Stars will guide Us."

Birregurra Art Exhibition: My artwork "Our Island, Our Home" won First Prize in the Mixed Media section and I won OVERALL First Prize.
The artwork is mixed media- pen and ink, watercolour, handmade paper, found objects, pencil.
This artwork also sold at the Eagles Nest Art Gallery in Aireys Inlet after the exhibition.

My artwork "You are My Beacon" was selected as the Peoples Choice Award at the Surfcoast Shire Art Exhibition and as a result it has adorned the cover of the 2017 calendar!!

This is the 6th edition I have illustrated for the Zoos Victoria Quarterly magazine, Zooper Kids.
This magazine is sent to every Zoo member in Australia.
Along with a story I illustrate, I also do the artwork for 3 or 4 of the activity pages in each issue.

I was commissioned to do an Australian Christmas themed Christmas card for a big client in Melbourne. (CEO of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne)
850 cards were printed and personally signed by the client.

The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie commissioned me once again to do a Christmas themed artwork that was produced as a colouring in page. Lots of fun doing this one. It was slightly challenging not being "allowed" to use any red paint! The "red" that I used is actually an intense Winsor Alizarin Crimson. The palette of colours I am restricted to are the colours that are across the top of green display panel in the photo below, bottom right. I can use brown though!

This is the 7th edition I have illustrated for the Zoos Victoria Quarterly magazine, Zooper Kids.

Another commission for the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie  for their Easter Colouring in page!

I felt like I needed a quick mountain hiking getaway and hiked solo for 2 days in the Grampians National Park. Amazing experience!

This is the 16th Edition I have done of Crags Creature for the Australian Ski Magazine. I am sent the storyline by a writer who lives in Thredbo and then I create the artworks for this crazy ongoing "comic" style story.

  JUNE/JULY: This is my entry for the prestigious Art Prize at The Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Awards to be held in Melbourne in October this year. The theme for all artists is "the relationship between humanity and the sea".
 I held a Facebook competition towards the end of July, for help with a title for this painting!
I had an overwhelming response with some amazing titles....the winner was an artist, Susan Wray from Western Australia, with the title of "The Stars will guide us, the Light will guard us".
Susan won an A3 size Limited Edition Print of this painting.

JUNE/JULY: I was commissioned to complete 3 original artworks for the soon to be opened Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery. The 3 artworks were initially A3 size black and white outline illustrations to be used as colouring in pages for the children that come to visit the Chocolaterie. The themes were based around the Great Ocean Road and the Chocolaterie.
Upon completion of the 3 colouring in pages, I was then commissioned to "colour them in" and these 3 artworks will be framed and on display when the Chocoalterie opens in September. I had a specific colour palette to work with, which meant I could not use blue or red, but I was however able to use "teal"!

JULY: On the last Saturday in July, I was invited to be guest artist at the Art Dolls Of Geelong.
The day was spent showing and explaining how I have created my book sculptures and the Prosculpt clay figures that I incorporate into the book sculptures. The participants made Prosculpt figures that they will use in their own dioramas or book sculptures.  Below are some of the amazing examples of some the creations from the day.

AUGUST : Commissioned artwork for another issue of Zooper News for Zoos Victoria! This is the 5th Issue I have illustrated.
This is the story (without the text added yet) of "A Humble Stork". The story and activity pages I do the artwork for, are aimed at 1-5 year olds.
©Jenny Laidlaw 2016

7th AUGUST:  Just finished this commissioned artwork for a "Baby Shower".
The animals and birds etc will each have a black line going up into the sky where 'guests' attending the baby shower will use a thumbprint with ink from an ink pad to represent "balloons". Images are ©Jenny Laidlaw 2016

My current freelance artwork with Zoos Victoria.....this is for the June edition of the Zooper magazine which is distributed to every Zoos Victoria member.
It is story that I illustrated about Madagascan Ring Tail Lemurs. The story is aimed for the an audience of 1-5 year olds. The text has not been added yet!
I also do the illustrations/artwork for other activity pages in the magazine.
This is the 4th issue of the magazine that I have done illustrations for and it is one of my favourite freelance projects to work on.

 This is a large size commission I have been working on over the last month....and just finished!
Pen and ink, found objects, pencil, handmade paper (made by me).
All the found objects or flotsam and jetsam, were found whilst beachcombing outside the Marine Parks in my area.
I have loved working on this......so different to what I have been working on over the last few months. When creating a piece like this, I am constantly moving things/squares around until I think the balance is right....it may be days before I actually hot glue gun anything on to the paper. It is nearly like doing a jigsaw puzzle. It just feels "right" when the connections all work and slot into place visually.
Happy Easter!!!

I have been a little slack regarding my blog entries since November....my apologies.
Towards the end of last year I felt I needed to get back into the mountains and bush and have a mental recharge, so it was off to Tasmania to do the Overland Track with my son in November and then a section of the Australian Alps Walking Track from Mt Hotham towards Thredbo, in December/January. My youngest daughter and I also spent a week in a cabin on the Cobungra River at Anglers Rest near Falls Creek/Mt Hotham in January.....no TV, no power and no phones was bliss.
Being in the bush and mountains does something positive for my soul and well being and that feeling is addictive!

I am continuing doing the illustrations/artwork for Zoos Victoria and the Zooper kids magazine. Here is some of the artwork for the most recent issue. The text for the story hasn't been added in these images.

In December I experimented with something different......hand sewn leaves that Sierra and I had collected and dried from our Ornamental Pear tree.

I am now working on a new series of illustrations that will be limited edition prints and also part of a square size print and greeting card range with themes such as new baby, marriage/engagement, birthday etc.
I have certainly had a lot of positive feedback already from these illustrations.
The lighthouse image ("You are My Beacon") was inspired by listening to the lyrics from a Josh Pyke song called "The Lighthouse Song". Josh Pyke even posted it onto his facebook page where it received over 1400 likes and some really inspiring comments!
I am really enjoying creating these images. As I am painting one, an idea will pop into my head for the next one.....I am currently working on birthday themed image with a hot air balloon.
All images are ©Jenny Laidlaw 2016

Time flies when you are having fun....
The last few months have been busy with Art Prize entries, exhibitions, commissions and producing artwork for Zoos Victoria.

In October I exhibited my newest artwork at the Bells St Fiesta in Torquay where I won first prize and also sold the first edition framed print of "The Sea of Possibility".
This original artwork (below) has been selected as a finalist for the Art Prize at the Mission To Seafarers exhibition at Docklands in Melbourne. Opening night is Friday the 6th November and the exhibition runs until the 27th November 2015. The theme for all artists is "The Relationship Between Humanity and the Sea" and here is my artist statement:

 "The “Sea Of Possibility” encompasses my thoughts about our human interaction in our surrounding coastal environment. It is also about how in this society we feel the need to acquire things to give meaning to our lives or to reach our dreams, when, really it is all more like chains.
The “Sea of Possibility” is about the escape and the opportunity to leave the chains behind and to dream differently to how everyone wants you to……It is then that you see colour, magic and inspiration and learn to respect and become again part of the delicate balance of nature and respect the environment we call home.
The ship is the opportunity to sail into possibility…..the possibility of hope."

I also exhibited at the Birregurra Art Show where I  won 1st Prize in the "Mixed Media" section with my book sculpture "Protected In My Sleep and In My Dreams"

In October, I also exhibited at the Geelong College Art Show and was part of a group exhibition at Tussock Upstairs Gallery in Pt Lonsdale. I exhibited fibonacci inspired artworks done in collaboration with Matthew Stevenson.

I have also been busy working with Zoos Victoria to produce artworks for the Zooper Kids magazine. Here are some samples!

I was recently commissioned to do an artwork that will be produced into 700 christmas cards.....
Here is a sneak peak of the finished artwork....

My next project is to produce some illustrations for a colouring book. I have been very reluctant to start this adventure as I feel the colouring in book market is absolutely saturated at the moment, however after so many requests and encouragement I have decided to take the plunge and give it a go!! Stay tuned!!