Jenny Kennish - Artist


An experience not to be missed ! Photos of Jenny during her 2008 trip to Tanzania		Friends will have noticed that I haven’t updated my web site for quite a while. After months of anxiety spent wondering what was happening, my partner Fred was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer ’s disease. Inevitably our lives are now taking a different course and we are learning about the disease while making plans for the future. Fred has taken the news with his typical courage and determination and he aims to continue life as normal for as long as possible, so we are getting involved with the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Society and taking each day as it comes. We will have to stop running the boarding kennels and we must move to a smaller bungalow, two very big changes in our lives and I know the period of adjustment will be difficult and stressful. The changes may affect Fred’s illness, but if together we can create a beautiful peaceful new home, this will help us both to adjust. The new beginnings will also be exciting and we are looking on the positive side and planning the new garden and the wild woodland area where the dogs can run and get up to mischief!



A trip to Sri Lanka resulted in blissful days spent living and working with the retired elephants at the Millenium Foundation. This was followed by visits to the orphaned elephants at Pinnewala and sales from my artwork have helped to supply milk for these baby elephants.

		I try to tell a story within my paintings and to inspire the viewer to look more closely at their surroundings and the habitat around them. As for painting the dreaded backgrounds, it’s not a problem, I can help you! With this in mind, I enjoy teaching and sharing my painting skills at both workshops and art classes, so why not have a go! ©All pictures are copyrighted to the Artist - Jenny Kennish S.F.P.

Autobiography

I was born in Surrey in 1944 and as far back as I can remember Natural History has been my passion. My parents taught me observation and patience and after a while the birds and animals in our suburban garden learned to trust me. I read all I could about the care and well being of injured and orphaned birds and animals and spent my happy childhood drawing and painting a menagerie of creatures and flowers.

I trained as a primary school teacher and enjoyed my early career, teaching all ages and all subjects, and then I discovered porcelain. With my knowledge of wild animals, flowers, dead wood, leaves and fungi, I discovered that I was able to reproduce finely detailed wildlife sculptures. I left teaching and became a self-employed sculptor.

My ability granted me membership to The Royal Society of Miniature Sculptors, Gravers and Painters, The Society of Women Artists and I became a founder member of the Society of Botanical Artists.

Then Leonberger dogs entered my life and delicate porcelain sculptures were no longer practical, so I returned to my painting with renewed vigour and patience. I am known for my use of coloured pencils and recently I have begun to combine them with watercolours. If I am working on a large painting I will use mixed media, oil or pastel and I have won several awards and competitions.

I enjoy painting our native wildlife but I have also taken field trips to Africa and North America, searching for reference.