Artist: Jenny Matthews

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My love of flowers began on Scottish Highland holidays as a child. Since then it has been a passion to seek out flowers and plants wherever I go, be they cultivated or wild.
Colour is central to my paintings, and I endeavour to recreate my wonder at the Creation around us through my work. My representations of flora are highly observed, in contrast to the surrounding areas which are more intuitive and atmospheric, and are often inspired by colour combinations I notice while out painting. The myriad of flowers and plants, not to mention the ever-changing landscape and weather conditions, allow me to constantly find new inspiration and ideas, whether it be in the garden,  exploring around Edinburgh where I live or further afield. Butterflies have found their way into some of my pieces of late, and this is a subject I shall be following up this coming year.
I enjoy combining the skills of watercolour painting with impressionistic areas of colour in other water based media. Although I work predominantly on paper, I have recently returned to canvas. When using this support, I continue to use water based media, albeit acrylic, while retaining the delicacy of watercolour in certain passages. The canvas provides a new and exciting texture on which to depict my subjects.
Many characteristics of my work can be traced to four years spent in Indonesia, whether it be the colour green, abstracted squares representing rice paddies from the air or an interest in tropical flora. One of the centre pieces in this exhibition is ‘Burung Jawa’ which draws on those influences, and features some of my collection of Indonesian fabrics.

CV

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 May: Union Gallery, Edinburgh
2009 Strachan Fine Art, London
2008 Colours gallery, Edinburgh
2006 Colours Gallery, Edinburgh
2005 Colours Gallery, Edinburgh

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2009 Royal Watercolour Society 21st Century Watercolour Competition, London
Affordable Art Fair, London
Thompson’s Marylebone, Scottish Show
Chelsea Flower Show (Thompson’s Gallery)
Bristol Art Fair
SOC Aberlady, Wildlife Exhibition
2008 Royal Watercolour Society 21st Century Watercolour Competition, London
Strachan Fine Art, London
SOC Waterston House, Aberlady “Really Wild Flowers”
Thompson’s Aldeburgh, Suffolk
2007 Flower Show, Frames Perth
Royal Watercolour Society 21st Century Watercolour Competition, London
London Art Fair
Wren Gallery, Oxfordshire
Thompson’s Aldeburgh, Annual Summer Exhibition
2006 Chambers Gallery, London
Tolquhon Gallery, Aberdeenshire
RSW Annual Exhibition, RSA Edinburgh
Wykeham Gallery, Hampshire
2005 Frames Gallery, Perth
Wade Gallery, Fife
Tolquhon Gallery, Aberdeenshire
Tor Gallery, Inverness-shire
2004 Frames Gallery, Perth
Inspires Gallery, Oxford
Thompson’s Aldeburgh
2003 RSW Annual Exhibition
Tolquhon Gallery
Henshelwood gallery, Newcastle
Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Thompsons Gallery, London
2002 Scottish Gallery, Edinurgh
Edinburgh Gallery
Affordable Art Fair
2001 Corrymella Scott Gallery
Edinburgh Gallery
2000 Red Gallery, Marlow
Edinburgh Gallery

AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS

2007 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Purchase prize, RWS 21st Century Watercolour Competition, London
1986 Edinburgh College of Art Prize for Watercolour
Aug 2009 The Artist Magazine
Feb 2008 The Scotsman: “5 Best for Scottish Watercolours”
Mar 2008 The Scotsman: “My Seven Secrets of Survival: Jenny Matthews”
Jan 2005 Homes & Interiors Scotland Magazine: Featured Artist
Oct 2004 The Scotsman: “Top 20 of Scottish Art”
1990 The Encyclopedia of Watercolour Techniques

Born Montreal, Canada 1964
Education           Edinburgh College of Art, BA (Hons) Drawing & Painting 1986

COLLECTIONS

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, London
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
Hewlett Packard
Ian Rankin
Queen Margaret Hospital, Edinburgh
Lister Hospital, Chelsea
Spire Murrayfield Hospital
Brodies, Edinburgh
Adam & Co