Jenny Holm

After graduating in Graphic Design in Newcastle, and completing a postgraduate teaching diploma in Leeds, Jenny lived in the South of France for thirteen years. The landscapes there, together with the special quality of the light, had a lasting effect on how she developed as an artist.

Many of her paintings have an autobiographical element to them, whereas others are inspired by the ancient fairy-tales and myths that both frightened, and fascinated her as a child.

The sometimes uneasy, sometimes affectionate, relationships between humans and animals often feature in her work. As she says, “I am interested in exploring the nature of relationships between people, and also between people and animals, and how this influences the way they perceive their place in the world”.

But the narrative content is always implicit rather than spelled out, and the true meaning remains elusive and mysterious, inviting the viewer to explore the possibilities of where the story might go.

On her return to the North East, Jenny taught in schools for a few years, before setting up a small print studio in the Ouseburn Valley, in Newcastle, with a friend who was a textile designer. From the mid-nineties she was artist in residence at an art studio in South Tyneside, where she assisted people recovering from mental health problems, to improve their wellbeing, through making art. Jenny also ran workshops in museums and galleries.

In 2003 she exhibited for the first time at the Biscuit Factory, and a year later had a solo show in ‘The Gallery’ at Gateshead, called ‘Telling Tales’

Since 2011 Jenny has been a fulltime artist, and exhibits regularly in galleries throughout the United Kingdom. Her work can be found in private collections, not only in the UK, but also in the USA, Canada, Europe, and the UAE.