Jolie Dennison, Artist Statement:

My love affair with art began when I was a child. Earning 1st place in a student exhibition at the local museum was the highlight of 2nd grade for me...well, that and when my crush kissed his jacket and wiped it on my shoulder. My contribultion to the exhibition was a Native American collage portrait, created by painstakingly cutting and gluing hundreds of tiny pieces of paper together. Both portrait and blue ribbon are long gone, but my love affair with art is as strong as ever.

As a mixed media artist, I work with a variety of media, including acrylic paints, inks, gesso and collage. I adore vivid colors, texture and subtle compositions. I'm also an arts facilitator and have worked with thousands of children over the years. I feel the way they create with enthusiam and wild abandon has influenced my own work in a very positive way, giving it a whimsical quality. I love to experiment and I feel the best part of creating is often the surprise result when you try something new. Most of my days are spent in my studio, with the disco cranked high and paint brushes flying. I wouldn’t trade being an artist for anything.

Jolie Dennison, Bio

Jolie Dennison was born in Chicago, grew up in Freeport, IL and spent a formative decade in Milwaukee, WI before moving to Northern Ireland, where she married her husband, Ashley, and has been living for the past 11 years. Like many artists, Jolie did not pursue art professionally right away. She began her career as a devoted social worker, but consistently incorporated creativity into all of her professional endeavors.

As a result of her move overseas, Jolie finally had the opportunity to work as a full-time artist and has never looked back. Within a few short years of her arrival, Jolie opened Northern Ireland’s first dedicated children’s art studio and became known as the authority in children’s art. She writes an art and craft column for NI4Kids Magazine and since 2005, she has been curating an annual kids’ exhibition for charity. Jolie exhibits her work throughout the UK, Ireland and the USA, has work in private collections throughout the world and has been featured on TV and in magazines for her creative achievements.