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Jessica Blythe.com.au: visual communicator

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BIOGRAPHY

Born in Sydney, Australia in the 1950s, Jessica was highly commended in her first major exhibition in the 1970s but spent her working life writing and publishing for community and government while painting and crafting on the side. She set up studios wherever she lived and completed commissions for visual displays for theatre and education and illustrated publications.

Her ‘Figures and Faith’ solo exhibition in the Fitzroy Gallery Melbourne in 2007 was followed up with group shows, commissions and she developed and illustrated the 86 page 'Spirit of the Seasons' astrological diaries and printed gift lines.

Jessica is currently developing paintings for various series with a view to local competitions, gallery exhibitions and submissions for memberhip of national professional organisations.

The Headland Project of documenting various headlands en plein aire along the NSW north coast came to an abrupt stop with bushfires and Covid19. Both elicited depression and anxiety from the wildlife devastastion and health restrictions while most of her possessions were packed ready for house sale. This emotional response cleared early 2021 and a new project centered around nightime views of her property, 'The Moon and Me', began.

Jessica has been trained in traditional illustration skills, visual art and digital publishing. Jessica lives in the New South Wales regional town Grafton in a 1910 heritage home not far from the river and beaches. She also visits the cities for assignments and exhibitions.
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ARTIST STATEMENT I’m interested in Cultural Heritage - what it means to be human - and our impact on the land and creatures that we share this Earth with. I’ve had the privilege to experience wildlife up close and personal and been witness to the many injustices that humans bestow on the natural world. This daily occurrance informs the content of my artwork as I strive for a sense of reverence for Nature. I trust Beauty to speak for herself in my work.

I like to work within themes, such as 'Spirit of the Seasons', 'Vanishing Treasures' etc. and use my talents as artist, graphic designer, illustrator, researcher, writer and publisher to explore those themes through various techniques - traditional or cutting edge.
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PRESS and PUBLICATIONS 2016-17 art_thoughts blog and Art Studio Facebook Page
2010      Illustrators Australia’s Directory Issue 10
1984      Lismore Artist Directory
1983      Lismore Star newspaper as Artistic Dir for Rainbow Youth Theatre shows.
1983      Lismore Star newspaper as author for Youth Survival Manual.
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EXHIBITIONS, COMPETITIONS, COMMISSIONS

2018       Private Commission "Moondancing'
2018      'Puffball Mushroom' donated to School Fundraising for Cyclone Debbie
2017       'Puffball Mushroom' & 'After the Bushfire' online to FB Page of 1,000+
2017       'Farout' and 'Breakfast', D’Arcy Doyle Art competition, Mudgeeraba, QLD
2013-15  8 designs for Traffic Boxes, Gold Coast City Council
2011      'Father Sea’s Sons' children’s book submission to competition, VIC
2011      4 landscape paintings to Chinese Wholesaler
2009      Private Commission of Illustrations for a children’s book on wallabies
2008      'Garden Trolls' children’s book, Children’s Book Fair, Bologna, Italy
2008      Group show,' Save Water', Int’ntl Year of the Frog, Currumbin Sanctuary
2008      Group show, 'Where the Glowworms Live', Tweed Naturally Art Award
2008      'Bleached Coral' and 'Choose Life', Border Art Prize, Tweed River Gallery
2008      'Brighton Beach' and 'Brighton Huts', Two private commissions
2007/8    'Ariele' (oil painting) and 'Rawr' (A3 digital) private commissions
2007/8    9x5 exhibitions and online auctions, Illustrators Aust
2007       Group show, 'Where the Glowworms Live', Northcote, VIC
2007      "Figures and Faith" Solo Exhibition, Fitzroy Gallery
2007      Group show ‘Illustre” Chapel on Chapel gallery, Prahran
2007      Group show “Entree” Per Square Metre, Richmond
2003/4    group shows, 'British Standing Stones', Royal Qld Arts Society Gallery
1983       'Seaside Flowers', First prize Lismore Show
1982       Commission for 'Rainforest II', blackline drawing
1983       Blackline drawings of 'Rainforest', Lismore Women's Art Exhibition
1982       'Red Sails', Southern Cross Art Exhibition, Ballina
1977       15 paintings for solo exhibition, Brunswick Heads Carnival
1972       'Graeme' portrait, Drawing, Highly Commended, David Jones Art Exhibition.