Photo: Ferne Millen Photography
Born 1969, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jenny began painting and drawing at an early age and in 1981, when her family moved from Melbourne to North East Victoria, she developed a passion for the high country and a lifelong love of the outdoors.
Jenny completed school in 1987 and then studied a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Canberra Institute of the Arts, Australian National University. In 1992 she was accepted into Bachelor of Arts Honours-Fine Art at the Latrobe University College of Northern Victoria.
Jenny travelled and worked extensively overseas prior to her marriage in 1997. In 2002 she moved with her young family to Jan Juc, a coastal Victorian town and then in July 2020, she moved back to her home town of Mount Beauty in North East Victoria. In March 2021, Jenny and her husband purchased a tourist accommodation business in Mt Beauty called Kiewa Country Cottages. https://kiewacountrycottages.com.au There are 7 fully self contained cottages and 3 acres of stunning towering eucalypts, native gardens and a natural alpine stream to maintain and run. Jenny's parents built the cottages back in 1981, so they have done "full circle"!
Jenny is a dedicated and driven artist.
The diversity of Jenny’s artwork is broad and includes full colour detailed watercolour paintings where the bold, bright colours bring with them a children's agenda, but the quality in the artwork and her attention to detail goes far beyond what is generally created for children. More recently, Jenny has been creating meticulously detailed pen and ink illustrations where every artwork tells a story and inspires the imagination.
She loves encouraging the viewer to be drawn closer to the detail in her work...to look more closely and to then be fascinated, delighted, surprised and to smile at seeing things they didn't see before.
Jenny’s love and passion for the ocean and the mountains have been the inspiration for many of her works. In her finely detailed pen and ink drawings with collage material, the viewer can put together all the elements like a jigsaw puzzle to learn the story behind each picture.
The world she creates is “collected”….each picture, with its group of found objects, tells a story of a nearly mythical landscape and history. She loves blending realism, surrealism and found objects into her works with the hope that each piece will inspire the viewer to contemplate his or her own relationship with their environment.
Jenny has a strong emotional connection with every illustration and artwork she creates and she lovingly and passionately dedicates time and effort into every single piece.
Since completing her studies, Jenny has received many commissions, ranging from illustrations for books and magazines and clothing designs, to art for children’s bedrooms, logos and large-scale murals for schools and commercial applications.
Jenny has won numerous artworks awards and prizes and was awarded a Highly Commended in the 2018 Illustrators Australia/New Zealand Illustration Awards.
Jenny has also featured in an episode on the TV show "Colour In Your Life".
Her works are held in many private collections both here and overseas.
Jenny is a member of Illustrators Australia
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To view Jenny's Portfolio click on the below link and then search in the Portfolios with the artist name - "Jenny Laidlaw"
www.illustratorsaustralia.com |
Exhibition History
2019 |
Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Awards: Finalist and awarded People's Choice Winner, with "The Light Will Guide You Home", October
Group Exhibition-Tussock Upstairs Gallery, Point Lonsdale, Victoria. September/October |
2018 |
Solo Exhibition- Forrest Brewery, Victoria.
Art Spot - Group Exhibition - SurfCoast Arts Space, Anglesea, Victoria 26th Oct-11th Nov Illustrators Australia/New Zealand 2018 Illustration Awards: Highly Commended Award Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Awards: Finalist and awarded Highly Commended for artwork "The Breaker at The Stern" October. Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Awards: Co-winner of the Peoples Choice Award. Birregurra Art Show - First prize in Watercolour Category, with my artwork "Friendship is a Sheltering Tree". October. Illustrator's Dozen - Group Exhibition. SurfCoast Arts Space, Anglesea, Victoria. Sept/Oct Red Rock Regional Art Gallery- 2 x Group Exhibitions. July/Sept Solo Exhibition: Including launch of 11 new original artworks at the Epworth Art Gallery, Epworth Hospital in Geelong. May 14th - September 17th |
2017 |
This was year of discovery and travel and getting inspiration!
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2016
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Birregurra Art Show: October. First Prize in the Mixed Media category and then 1st Place Overall (sponsored by Irrewarra Sourdough) with my artwork "Our Island, Our Home".
Mission To Seafarers Maritime Art Awards (November:)at the Mission To Seafarers in Melbourne: I was a finalist with my artwork "The Stars Will Guide Us, The Light Will Guide Us". I was also a finalist in the Svitzer People's Choice Award. Winchelsea Art Show, November: I was awarded first place in the Mixed Media Category with my artwork "Nature Will Cling". I was also awarded the Hesse Rural Art Award with my artwork "Farmyard Friends". 2017 SurfCoast Shire Calendar: I have been awarded the Peoples Choice Award, so my artwork "You Are My Beacon" will be on the front cover of all 2017 calendars. |
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2015
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Tussock Upstairs Gallery, December 14th -January 3rd. Opening December 19th 3-5pm
Tussock Upstairs Gallery, September 28th - October 25th, Collaborative works with photographer, Matthew Stevenson. Joint Exhibition space. Birregurra Art Show.October 9th, 10th and 11th, 2015. First Prize (mixed Media) The Geelong College Carnival Art Show. October 9th and 10th ArtSpot- Group exhibition, Fairhaven, November long weekend. Finalist in the Mission To Seafarers Victoria "Maritime Art Award". Docklands, Flinders St, Melbourne. (7-27th November) Also selected as top 20 in the Peoples Choice Award. |
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2014
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Solo Exhibition: Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet, Victoria. 1st November- 2nd December.
Birregurra Art Festival: October 10th - 12th, Birregurra. 2nd Prize in Drawing Category. Biblio-Art exhibition/competition. June 7th -September, Blarney Books and Art, Port Fairy, Victoria.Group Exhibition. Blarney Books and Art, James St, Port Fairy, Victoria. 12th April - 26th May. Solo Exhibition. Tussock Upstairs Gallery Point Lonsdale, Victoria. Joint Exhibition with my father, Keith Smith. January 13-Feb 2nd. On August 7th 2014, Graeme Stevenson and his film crew from the hit TV series "Colour In Your LIfe" came to film Jenny in her studio, for an episode on their TV show. http://www.colourinyourlife.com.au/ As of June 2018, Jenny's episode has had over 19 500 views on YouTube. You can view the full episode on YouTube below! |
2013
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Finalist in the Mission To Seafarers Victoria "Maritime Art Award" and Peoples Choice Award Docklands, Flinders St, Melbourne(October) Birregurra Art Festival. Group Exhibition in October, Victoria. First prize in "Mixed Media". Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet. Victoria Tussock Upstairs Gallery, Pt Lonsdale,Victoria. Group exhibition in June/July and Sept/Oct Lord Howe Island Art Gallery. Lord Howe Island, NSW |
2012 |
Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet, Victoria
Tigerfish Art Gallery, Torquay Victoria Lord Howe Island Art Gallery, Lord Howe Island, NSW Surfcoast Images Gallery, Torquay, Victoria St Josephs Art Expo, Group Exhibition in June, Geelong, Victoria Surfcoast Images Gallery, Small solo exhibition in June, Torquay, Victoria. Tussock Upstairs Gallery, Exhibition in July/August, Pt Lonsdale, Victoria. Metropolis Gallery, Group Exhibition in August, Geelong, Victoria. Birregurra Art festival, Group exhibition in October, Victoria. First Prize in "Mixed Media" section. Mt Eliza Art Exhibition, Group exhibition in October, Victoria Mission To Seafarers Victoria Maritime Art Award,(finalist) Melbourne, October |
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2011
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WishArt Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria
Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Group Exhibition Mt Eliza Art Exhibition, Victoria, Group Exhibition. 2nd Prize "Bringing Words To Life". Tigerfish Art Gallery, Torquay, Victoria Surfcoast Shire Calendar Exhibition, Torquay, Victoria |
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2010
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WishArt Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria
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2009
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Mt Eliza Art Exhibition, Victoria, Group Exhibition.
- Highly Commended Art Prize WishArt Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria The Sands Torquay, Victoria |
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2008
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Seaview Gallery, Queenscliff, Victoria
Wish Art Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria |
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2007
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Mt Buller Chalet, Victoria, Group Exhibition
Seaview Gallery, Queenscliff, Victoria WishArt Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria |
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2004
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WishArt Gallery, Port Fairy, Victoria
Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet, Victoria Diesel and Daisy Art Gallery, Marshall, Victoria, Group Exhibition Mt Eliza Art Exhibition, Victoria, Group Exhibition Mt Buller Chalet, Victoria, Group Exhibition |
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2003
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Ryrie Street Art Gallery, (Metropolis Gallery) Geelong, Victoria. Solo Exhibition with my
father, Keith Smith. Seaview Gallery, Group Exhibition, Queenscliff, Victoria |