About Jen
Jennifer Carlson is an Australian painter based in Northern New South Wales. Working from her studio in the Northern Rivers Region, her deep attachment to her natural surroundings is reflected in her large-scale abstract paintings.
Jen's artistic journey has been shaped by her background as a hair and makeup artist in the entertainment industry, as well as her deep love of colour and textile design. These influences provided an invaluable foundation for cultivating her art practice.
After studying textile design in Sydney and attending printing workshops in India, Jen's perspective is grounded in years of behind-the-scenes experience, which continues to shine through in her current work.
Artist Statement
I've been meditating since my mid-thirties, and that practice has influenced everything about how I paint.
When I step into the studio, I'm engaging with the work, being guided as much as I'm guiding. I work spontaneously, making marks intuitively, following the energy as it comes. I can't predict where a painting will go—the forms that emerge, organic and biomorphic like something you'd find in nature, just appear.
I think of the paintings as portals, invitations into the experience of the natural world.
May you find your own meaning when feeling into the work.
Group Exhibitions
2025 - ‘Hibiscus on the River’ Ninbella Gallery Bangalow, Nsw
2022 – ‘Less is More’, Art Lovers Australia, Gold Coast
2018 - Cafe Dbar, Gold Coast
Solo Exhibitions
2021 - ‘The In-Between’ Finite Art Gallery, Brisbane
Education
2022 – Masterclass – Design Techniques, Firebird Studio, QLD
2022 – Advanced Clay Techniques – A Potters Journey, QLD
2021 – Masterclass – Hand Build, Firebird Studio, QLD
2021 – Masterclass – Wheel, Firebird Studio, QLD
2020 – Design Principals, Nicolas Wilton, USA
2017 – Intensive Colour Relationship Workshop, Merv Moriarty, QLD
2015 – Folk Art Workshops, QLD
2007 – Blocking Printing Workshop, Jaipur, India
2007 – Indigo Dye Workshop, Jaipur, India
2001 – Diploma in Textile Design, East Sydney Tafe