A short history of Jennifer England

All through my growing years I was surrounded by music. My mother is a respected music educator, my aunt, her sister, is highly regarded as a piano teacher, performer and accompanist who played piano for ABC Radio and my uncle, recently retired from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, was a professional oboist. My godmother, Judy Small has performed around the world and recorded many CDs in her career as a folksinger, working tirelessly for the underprivileged and powerless with legal aid in her other profession as a lawyer. Before his retirement my father was a businessman with truly creative and innovative ideas and our home boasted several of his original inventions but his great love has always been singing. My paternal grandparents were historians and together started the Coffs Harbour Museum with my grandfather writing "The Coffs Harbour Story", a history of Coffs Harbour. My grandmother also played the piano for silent films in the 1940's.

During the seventies and eighties my parents hosted Musica Viva concerts in our home. I recall the Bejing string quartet's staying at our house as did other visiting musicians national and international. My introduction to other cultures at such a young age (five years) and the wonderfully warm people I met opened my eyes to a different world while at the same time showing me the ugliness of racism and prejudice. Small wonder then, that I grew up "colour blind". While we listened to the beautiful music created by these artists my brothers, sister and I were all engaged in piano lessons before branching out into other instruments or pursuing our love of choral singing.

I am the third child of four, my sister is studying for a Bachelor of Education, my older brother holds a degree in Music Education, and my younger brother is an environmental engineer studying for Master of Commerce.

I left Coffs Harbour at eighteen to study for a Diploma in Fine Arts in Sydney, majoring in painting. Although aware of the difficulties facing those who embrace a life in the arts my parents have always encouraged me, taking a keen interest in the various avenues open to me as a painter.

Exhibitions

My work has been exhibited in regional NSW and Sydney galleries for a period of fifteen years. Published works and commissions include Craft Arts International, Australian House and Garden, TAFE NSW Art Collection, Weekend Australian - James Halliday's Top 100 Wines (wine label design) and a HSC text book "Interpreting the Visual " by Helen de Silva Joyce and John Gaudin. Visit Exhibitions and Publications for more information.

The Colour Theory

Like many, or even most artists, depression has to be kept constantly at bay. I was surrounded by mental illness growing up but at the same time, I was surrounded by musicians & artists. As a teenager I painted places where I wanted to be with bright colours, and in these colours the human faces have a consistent underlying sadness - a perfect environment with unsettling imperfection in the detail.