Jen Conde
Art Trail 2025, Coochiemudlo Island
Jen Conde in her printmaking studio
Talwalpin Flower and Buds by Jen Conde
Handmade brushes by Jen Conde
From Jen Conde’s sketchbook: feather brush drawing
Jen Conde using a feather brush in her sketchbook
My art is inspired by the islands and tidal zones of Moreton Bay, a place of deep natural beauty and cultural history. I acknowledge the Quandamooka people, Traditional Custodians of this land, who have cared for country for thousands of years. I regularly meet with other artists from the Bay Islands. Together, we walk the shoreline, sketch, and observe the changing tides and life in these in-between spaces. These shared moments often lead to rich conversations about the environment, the patterns we see in nature, and our place within it all. For me, these interactions are a form of connection—between people, place, and spirit.
Printmaking and collaged paintings are the current mediums I use to explore this connection more deeply. The slow, repetitive pull of an etching mirrors the rhythms of the natural world – layers building upon layers, patina and unexpected marks that appear in ways I can’t control. Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines or areas are incised into a base plate to hold ink. A metal plate uses acid to incise the lines and a photographic plate uses light sensitive emulsion. Once my drawings are embedded into the plates, for me the printing process becomes experimental. Using water-based inks, recycled and rag papers and butter paper transparencies, I play with cutting out areas of colour, shape and line to reassemble a meaningful moment in time.
Environmental care is central to how I work. I want the impact of my art to be lasting in meaning but gentle on the earth—something that, when its time is over, leaves little behind. Through my work, I’m searching for a visual language that is both poetic and reflective. Nature, to me, is not separate from us—it holds knowledge, memory, and mystery. It often reflects our own life cycles, emotions, and stories. In my work, forms and shapes come and go alongside a more structured and symbolic library of images, providing reference points and context. For me, they are reference points or metaphors, suggesting connections between the human and natural worlds. At its core, my practice is about paying attention. It's an invitation to slow down, to look more closely, and to consider how we relate to the world around us—and to each other.
See Jen’s work at:
Studio #3, 29 James Street (Migaloo Artist Collective)
