Jenni Kelly was one of six award-winning artists who took part in the “Travellers’ Tales” exhibition funded by the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

The event was held this month at the Pine Rivers Art Gallery in Strathpine.

The theme “Travellers’ Tales” embraced memoirs of the artists’ intrepid travels derived from photographs translated into art pieces across the globe, including America, Europe, Asia and their homeland Australia. Works varied from acrylic on canvas to mosaic pieces.

Kelly’s gallery pieces focused on her travels in Hong Kong where she collected photography of the local people and nature’s surroundings, and translated photography into acrylic-on-canvas.

Over the years her vibrant, nature inspired pieces have developed a uniquely creative expression of delicate, sweeping brushstrokes on canvas configured to create a “quiet beauty” and a feeling of enchantment to the eye.

She advised that it takes a good balance of composition and design with a “realistic” aspect to create her style of art.

An Asian conceptual influence was strong in her work and she said that her work was best described as a good balance of elements: “a bit of balance. A ying and a yang.”

Kelly, also a business-savvy woman, has sold her art work with prices ranging from for $100 to $5000 a piece, as revenue for a comfortable “retirement income.”

“The highest compliment is what you get paid,” she said.

“You can be as busy as you want to be.”

Based in Buderim in the Sunshine Coast she has taught art for 15 years and educated art students and hosted workshops in rural regions such as Emerald.

Her generous artistic advice and a media-friendly approach referring other artists’ work around South-East Queensland showed.

Having sold her artwork successfully she emphasised the ability of being able to evolve within the industry.

“If you’re an artist you’ve got to move on. You’ve got to grow,” she said.

Thirty of her art works are showcased at the Tina Cooper Gallery in Eumundi, a reputable art gallery with work contributed by renowned artists hosting one of the largest art gallery collections in Australia.

Pine Rivers Art Gallery Director, Tracey Wallace, said the Moreton Bay Regional Council strongly supports the art sector within the community and ensures it receives the necessary funding in order to run exhibitions.

The Pine Rivers Art Gallery shop alone sells up to 100 of Queensland’s leading artist’s merchandise.

She said each year the council selects a group of emerging and established artists, photographers and sculptors to host exhibitions throughout the year to provide a versatility of choice to the community.

At the community’s request collectors are now able to buy exhibits directly from the artists via the Pine Rivers Art Gallery.

Picture: Jenni Kelly’s “Golden Buddah at Ngong Ping Village”