About Jill
I’m a London painter, drawn to place, light and the life of a community.
I am a London-based artist. I have been a traveller most of my life, and have been lucky enough to live in a variety of places — Africa, Pakistan, Lebanon, America, Turkey and Paris.
In 2011, in Washington DC, I embarked on an artistic journey that has consumed me ever since. I was invited to join a group of artists in a stone tower gallery adjoining a studio, as ‘artists in residence’. It was my first opportunity to present work to the public — and it gave me the courage to continue.
River Thames Late Evening Light.
Training
On returning to London, I attended the London Fine Art Studios (LFAS) part-time, to learn a classical method of drawing and painting portrait and figure from life. It gave me a strong foundation from which to explore observing, drawing and oil painting.
At the same time I was privileged to study, for a short time, with the late Jason Bowyer — an artist who believed in the importance of drawing, direct observation, and searching for visual tension. His direction took me closer to what I was seeking: more lively, semi-realistic compositions, enhanced with mark-making.
“Instead of the well-known landmarks, I seek out the small places that hold a visual tension — an evening light on a building, an allotment in winter, a tree in Richmond Park.”
Method
From sketchbook to studio
I observe a landscape for its eye-catching focus — light and dark, contrasting form — taking notes and filling a sketchbook with watercolour, graphite and pastel studies, and returning to the same place two or three times when I can. Most compositions are then developed in the studio from sketches, colour notes, photographs and memory. I often make the same study in different mediums and choose whichever best fits the subject: oil, soft pastel, watercolour or mixed media.
Community
While I love to respond to dramatic and changing landscapes, I am also interested in documenting the life of a community. Volunteering has given me a valuable way to observe a multicultural community in south London. Using art to support people living with visual impairment, mental-health difficulties and loneliness has given me real insight into how the senses respond to their surroundings — which feeds back into my own work as I experiment with materials and texture.
I also paint portraits of my family, community members and others — sometimes dogs — in the context where I know them.
From the work
Enquiries welcome
Like to know more, or arrange a studio visit?
I’m always happy to talk about the work, a possible commission, or a visit to the Chiswick studio.