Art has always been an integral part of Jillian O’Brien’s life since childhood. After relocating to Tasmania in 2003, her practice has drawn upon the beauty and sensorial resonance of nature as her inspiration. She explores the space between realism and abstraction through a multi-disciplinary approach using charcoals, graphite, inks and watercolours.

Jillian says, “ The brooding beauty of the landscape has a magnetic energy that totally captures me.” It is this beauty that motivates the changes in medium to try to convey the sense, or the story she wants to tell. “I recently spent a long weekend in the Tahune forest near my home,” she says, “ Staying overnight gives you a totally different perspective of forest dwelling. This is a ‘dark sky’ area that overwhelms the senses. Nightfall brings an unforgettable experience. The sting of pure, cold crisp air immediately hits the first sense. The surrounding dense forest where no sound of human habitation penetrates, only those of nature and the flowing Huon River hit the next sense. But the hero is the pitch black sky and the spectacular vision of stars! Nothing can prepare one for this overwhelming sensation of awe and wonderment. It is these moments of silence and quiet contemplation that allow us to slow down, breathe deeply and listen. My artwork endeavours to capture a stillness, to encourage one to engage and focus on the present moment.”

Jillian’s practice captures the natural world with expressive mark-making using layering, tonal depth and negative space to create works that evoke stillness and reflection.