Jacquilyne Smith draws from a network of memories, moving above and through the Australian landscape, mapping her personal connection to the spaces she holds close to her heart. 

Growing up in Australia Jacquilyne moved frequently and loved exploring her surroundings. Camping and fishing with her late father fostered a love of the outdoors and a desire to explore.

From the banks of the Murray River to the those of the Daly River; the crisp winter light in Canberra, to the hazy shimmer of heat in Berri; from the big cities to the high country, Smith traverses the country’s inland highways and the meandering coastal roads going in and out of mountains and little towns, paddling the rivers and estuaries taking photographs and sketching in her journals.

Jacquilyne’s connection to the landscape is reflected in the colour she uses in her artworks. The red dirt, salmon pink of the gums with their silvery leaves; buttery yellows of wheat and canola, dusty fields of brown during drought; lush, dense colours of the rainforests, abundant hues of the sky, creamy white sand, limestone cliffs and granite rocks, and the endless greens and blues of water, all carry meaning for the artist.

Exploring these environments has imprinted memories of the Australian landscape and the essence of the artist’s lived experienced over time. For Jacquilyne Smith, the process of making art is a form of mediation that helps shut off the noise of the world and move into the deep sense of peace experienced when immersed in nature. Through her creative practice Jacquilyne draws on these memories to create artworks that embody a sense of harmony and beauty, and encourage reflection and curiosity.