An Exhibition by Jackie Case
26th April - 17th June
26th April - 17th June
Jackie Case was born and raised in the very ‘Zone One’ suburb of North Balwyn in a Dental Surgery. Yes, the distinct smell of disinfectant and toothpaste feels just like home. Jackie was equal middle child in a large family of six siblings. In such chaos, retreating upstairs with a pad of paper and a handful of pencils Jackie could find peace and relaxation within her own imagination. Drawing was a very private and internal past time, showing others her work made her feel very embarrassed and vulnerable. She would always make her friends hold her folio at the tram stop because she didn’t like people knowing she ‘thought’ she could draw. At sixteen Jackie decided the best way to support herself financially was to get her B.A in Graphic Design, which she later did at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (R.M.I.T). Always with the hope of pursuing a fine art Jackie travelled extensively going to every major Art Museum and Gallery as humanly possible. Finally around 2003 Jackie put down the computer mouse and picked up a pencil... Jackie’s work can now be found in private collections all over the world including representation by Rebecca Hossack Gallery London.
Woolly Mammoth
The concept for the Sweets Workshop exhibition is small but detailed quirky little slices of life. A mixture of complicated technique with often simple but endearing images. Expect to find anything from ‘Straw Sucking Gold Fish’, to extraordinary detailed trees, if Jackie finds the subject interesting maybe someone else will too. Jackie’s artist style was first inspired by the technique of etchings. The warmth of shading juxtaposed against the beautiful strength of line and intricate detail. Today Jackie focuses heavily on the line work in an effort of produce ever increasing detail.
What materials do you like to work with?
Jackie uses simple pencil and eraser as well as some ink on paper to create her drawings. Her technique has been perfected over many years and countless hours of drawing. Her fine drawing ingenuity she attributes to her Father (the Dental Surgeon) with steady hands she too inherited.
Couldface Woodface
Everything inspires Jackie’s work. She has ‘lifetimes’ of ideas and even if she revisits an idea again she finds there are so many directions they can go. At the start of each drawing session Jackie simply doesn’t know what drawings she will produce. “It’s exciting to just wait and see what comes. To stare at a blank piece of paper and not know what to draw lasts only for a second. These are often my best drawings as I have no preconceived ideas.”
Do you have any advice for emerging artists?
“My advice to emerging artists is show your work as often as possible. I started out in my local Cafe. It’s a great place to learn what sells and what works for your audience. The costs are minimal and your out lay is basically your time. Learning to get ‘over myself’ was probably the most difficult first step. Another great piece of advice I go was from a dear friend; “Just because a work doesn’t sell doesn’t mean it’s not good. You just haven’t found your right audience”. I’m really excited about showing at Sweets Workshop. It’s the wonderful mixture of small and quirky, with real heart and soul...” just like Jackie Case’s drawings.
