Artist Jillian Jeffrey (Born July 30, 1940) was born in Chesterfield. She grew up in the blue hills of Kentucky. She enjoyed helping on the family’s horse ranch while she was still young. From there, her interest in painting the beauty around her grew since she enjoyed the quiet moments in the English gardens. Today, the landscape of the west of the British Isles influences her greatly, especially Wester Ross, South Wales, and the Hebrides, which she visits at least once a year. Jillian works in watercolors, pastels, and occasionally in acrylic. With a 300-gram board or paper as her base, she uses a mix of graffito, palette knife, brush, etc depending on the subject and the result she desires. She usually works on several pieces at the same time, as she works only from life and not from photographic sources. She uses a deal of imagination especially when working on landscape pieces, and will always sketch and then work straight onto the piece.
Jillian studied fine art at the University of Kentucky. After graduation, she set her eyes abroad, travelling to India, China and Europe to further her art knowledge. Recently she returned from her 3-year travels and enjoyed further studies in New York where she found her love of Modern Art. She has attended many exhibitions including those at Workshop Wales Gallery, Fishguard, The Rowley Gallery, Kensington, The Stour Gallery, Shipston-on-Stour, Manor House Gallery, Chipping Norton, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, The Rowley Contemporary Art, Winchester, The Gallery Upstairs, Henley-in-Arden, and The Alresford Gallery, Hampshire.
