Jenny Ross
Biography
Jenny Ross is a Scottish-Canadian artist living and working in Aberdeen, Scotland. Originally qualified in veterinary medicine, she changed career to become a visual artist, working in the field for several years before studying painting at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. She works across a wide variety of media in her drawings, paintings and three-dimensional works, with a particular interest in the interactions between media and their unplanned and exciting results.
Her inspirations include the Scottish landscape and farmland where she lives, folklore and spiritual practices. Her work has been exhibited in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London and has won several awards.
Artist Statement
Through painting and drawing, I aim to map real and imagined spaces drawn from my own experiences, dreams and written work. My work explores spiritual practices and rituals, drawing on both local and global contexts. I explore witchcraft in relation to landscape and the natural environment, and animals and figures sometimes have a tangible presence in the work. My inspirations include books, found images and the landscape surrounding my home in north-east Scotland.
Walking with my thoughts is an important part of my process. My images are rarely planned beforehand, as I prefer to react to the media and colours during the creative process. Mixing media excites me, and I love its unpredictability and dynamism. I have been making my own paint from found natural pigments, including fire ash, mushrooms and earth. This process has become a ritual within my practice.