Paula Jenkins

Paula has a deep connection with the Australian landscape, having grown up among the bush near Paterson in NSW’s Hunter Valley and spending 7 years living on the historic Camden Park property whilst at secondary school. Both these places significantly influenced Paula’s love and respect of nature and the land, where she spent many occasions exploring with a sketch pad in hand, documenting her surrounds.

Due to her passion for environmental conservation, Paula went on to complete a Degree in Environmental Management, whilst continuing her art practice throughout her career. Her love of the environment and her dedication towards her art practice led her to becoming a full-time landscape artist.

Paula currently lives, and works from her studio, in Walcha NSW; an area that abounds in spectacular subjects in nature. Paula’s distinct style depicts the essence of Australia’s landscapes using predominantly oil and gouache, and her works are known for her vivacious use of colour, textures and mark-making to form her landscapes and compositions.

“My art is a continuous journey of discovery as I explore, through painting, our incredible and diverse environments around the country. I look deep into a landscape and extract the subtleties and connotations that lie within. My aim is to evoke emotion and a sense of place through my paintings. I create connections with the Australian environment to allow for a deeper understanding of the compelling beauty, the wild, the rugged and the mystery of our unique landforms.” – Paula Jenkins, 2022

Shorelines

Shorelines explores the shorelines along Wallis Lake in the beautiful Great Lakes region along the Mid North Coast. Paula Jenkins and her family spend many holidays at Wallis Lake, and during this time she has been documenting, through painting, the interesting compositions, light and vegetation along the lake’s edge. The paintings in this exhibition have particular focus on the summer warmth the lake brings. As such Paula has blended the cool colour palette of the water with the warmth of the summer light.

“Working with colour is my artistic voice. I’m constantly aiming to push the boundaries with colour experimentation and finding new ways of applying marks and techniques to allow the painting to ‘sing’ and have a higher energy vibration.” – Paula Jenkins, 2023

Solo Exhibitions

2023   Shorelines,  Art2Muse Gallery, Woollahra, Sydney NSW

2022     Sea Me, As I Am, Art2Muse Gallery, Woollahra, Sydney NSW

2022     ‘Aspects of Apsley Gorge’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2021      ‘Lhere Pirnte’, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth NSW

2021      ‘Impressions of a Journey’, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland NSW

2020      ‘Riverbeds & Spinifex, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW

2019      ‘Land & Sea’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2019      ‘Lifeblood’, Art2Muse Gallery, Sydney NSW

2018      ‘Our Beautiful Land’, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth NSW

2017      ‘Interview with Landscapes’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2016      ‘Luminous’, The Moree Gallery, Moree NSW

2015      ‘Bush Tracks’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2014      ‘As One’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

Selected Group Exhibitions

2023     ‘Living Colour, New England’ (trio), Weswal Gallery, Tamworth NSW

2023      ‘Fifty/50’, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW

2022      ‘Kunderang’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2022      ‘Interconnected – Beautiful Bizarre Magazine International Exhibition’, New England Regional Art

Museum, Armidale NSW

2021      ‘Five at the Finke’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2021      ‘Friends of the Gallery Fundraising Exhibition’, Tamworth Regional Gallery, Tamworth NSW

2020      ‘Compass – Generations of Walcha Artists’, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW

2020      ‘Painting Journeys’ (trio exhibition), Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2020      ‘The Panorama Project’, sketch book project touring regional libraries. Curated by Arts North West

2020      ‘Art Word Place’, Regional Australia Institute, Canberra ACT

2020      ‘Perception of Landscape’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2019      ‘Dignity’, Christmas fundraising exhibition, The Happenstore, Sydney NSW

2019      ‘Art Word Place’, Tamworth Regional Gallery, Tamworth NSW

2019      ‘Centenary Anniversary of Tamworth Regional Gallery’, Tamworth Regional Gallery NSW

2019      ‘A Tree in the House’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2018      ‘A Painted Landscape’, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney NSW

2018      ‘An Artist’s Life’, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha NSW

2016      ‘Eclectica’, Frensham, Mittagong NSW

2016      ‘The Drawing Project’, Gallery 126, Armidale NSW

Prizes

2023     Environmental Art & Design Prize, Finalist

2022     Heart of the Bush Art Prize, Finalist

2021      Kennedy Art Prize, Finalist

2020      Fishers Ghost Art Prize, Finalist

2019      Fishers Ghost Art Prize, Finalist

2019      Paddington Art Prize, Finalist

2019      Hawkesbury Art Prize, Finalist

2018      Muswellbrook Art Prize, Finalist

2017      New England Art Society Art Prize, Runner Up

2016      Frensham Fellowship Art Prize, Finalist

2016      New England Art Society Art Prize, Winner

1997     Berrima District Art Prize, Winner

1996      Award for Outstanding Excellence in Visual Arts, Frensham, Mittagong NSW

Education and Residencies

2023     Art Therapist – Mental health & wellness outreach program to small remote schools – funded by the  New England Regional Art Museum

2022-Current  Walcha Arts Advisory Council, delegated artist

2022      East Kunderang Homestead Residency, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park

2020-2022      Diploma, Art Therapy – College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy

2021      Finke at 2 Mile Residency, Central Australia

2019      Finke River Residency, Central Australia

2017      Field Trip to Fowlers Gap, UNSW

2002      Residency with Piers Bateman, Casarabonela, Spain

1999      One month ‘Art, Place & Culture’ workshop, Central Australia NT

1997-1999     Bachelor of Environmental Management Degree, UWS Hawkesbury NSW

1991-1996     Frensham, Mittagong NSW

Publications and  Media

2022       Art Edit Magazine, ‘In Conversation’, spring edition

2022       Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, May and June issues, re ‘Interconnected’ exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum

2021       Interview with ABC New England North West, ‘Five at the Finke’ exhibition

2020       Interview with The Asian Curator (available on my website under ‘CV’)

2020       Interview with ABC New England North West re ‘Riverbeds & Spinifex’ exhibition

2018       ‘A Painted Landscape’. Published by Thames & Hudson. Written by Amber Creswell-Bell

2018        Interview with ABC New England North West re ‘Our Beautiful Land’ exhibition (available on my website under ‘CV’)

2018        Australian Country Magazine

2017        Downtown Magazine

2017        New England Living Magazine

2017        New England Focus Magazine

2017        Graziher Magazine

Public Collections

State Library of NSW, Sydney NSW (2021)

University of New England, Armidale NSW (2021)