About Jen
Jen Carlson is an Australian painter living and working in the Northern Rivers region of NSW — a corner of the world she chose deliberately, drawn by a quieter life and a closer connection to nature.
Her path to painting has been anything but straight. She studied textile design, built a career as a hair and makeup artist in the entertainment industry, and travelled through India exploring printing workshops. All of it has fed into how she sees and makes work.
These days, Jen works from her studio on large-scale abstract paintings that move between pattern and landscape, layered with the textures of a life surrounded by nature.
Artist Statement
I work with the patterns, textures and marks of nature. What begins as technical exploration becomes something more. The paintings carry something I can only understand afterward. For me, painting is where the unknown becomes known.
Meditation has been integral to my practice since my mid-thirties, shaping both process and outcome. My influences range from music, vintage textiles and stained glass windows to the Japanese art form of Sumi-e, where brush strokes find the raw essence of form.
My approach blends technical skill with intuitive practice. The resulting paintings are atmospheric, layered, abstracted impressions that invite personal interpretation.
My hope is that you can feel into the work.
Group Exhibitions
2026 - Selected works - Empire Revival, Murwillumbah
2025 - Hibiscus on the River - Ninbella Gallery, Bangalow
2022 – Less is More - Art Lovers Australia, Gold Coast
2018 - Flowers in Motion - 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