Jennie Fairweather – portfolio

Contact the artist

01869 322996
ockcairns{at}yahoo.com

Exhibition information

Last year was my first year of art exhibitions, during which I sold several of my watercolour paintings. I exhibited at three different venues: Oxfordshire Art Week (Bicester Art Network) in May, Marsh Gibbon Church in October, and Cinch Self Storage (Bicester Art Network) in Bicester in December. I was delighted by the positive response to my work and pleased that several of my paintings were purchased.

Artist information

I have been painting for many years and work primarily in watercolour. I currently attend an established art class in Launton, where I am taught by local artist and tutor David Meeks. My artistic journey began earlier with evening art classes in Kidlington, which I joined after work, inspired by my enjoyment of art at school and a desire to develop my skills further.

My early training focused on oil painting, a medium I enjoyed for its flexibility and the ability to rework areas directly on the canvas. However, the long drying times and extensive preparation required for oils eventually led me to explore watercolour. This transition was strongly influenced by David Koslow, a former manager during my time working as a laboratory technician in the 1970s, whose watercolour paintings—particularly of Oxford University colleges, landscapes, and steam trains—left a lasting impression on me.

Approximately fifteen years ago, I began formal watercolour classes in Launton with David Meeks. What started as a small local group has since grown into a welcoming and diverse community of artists from across Oxfordshire. Under David’s guidance, I continue to develop my technique through weekly demonstrations and individual support, embracing a learning process that often involves reworking and reassessing my paintings to achieve stronger results.

My strongest work in watercolour is typically found in seascapes, landscapes, and studies of trees. I have also completed head studies of my Cairn terriers, as well as still-life subjects including fruit and flowers. I remain committed to learning, experimenting, and refining my approach to watercolour, and I look forward to continuing this artistic development throughout 2025.

My journey into jewellery making began several years ago, inspired by a television programme that introduced me to the wonderful world of jewellery design. Intrigued and inspired, I decided to try creating pieces myself — and it soon became a passion.

I work with a beautiful selection of semi-precious gemstones, including freshwater cultured pearls, labradorite, amethyst, ruby, emerald and moonstone. I am entirely self-taught, having developed my skills through experimentation, online tutorials and a great deal of curiosity.

I particularly enjoy the creative freedom of working with natural gemstones, discovering their individual colours, textures and character, and transforming them into unique pieces of jewellery. There is something wonderfully absorbing about the process — a chance to slow down, be creative and simply lose myself in the making.

Each piece is individually designed and handmade by me, making every creation truly one of a kind. I also love making jewellery as meaningful gifts for family and friends — something personal, beautiful and made especially with them in mind.

Every piece is made with care, attention to detail and, most importantly, love.