BODY OF WORK

A life challenge helped spark a creative change for an Auckland figurative artist

- Bryony Ammonds-Smith

Jenni Stringleman's figurative paintings are hypnotic. The vibrant colours, the fluid movements. Her figures are dancing and swimming and existing in ways that make you yearn for the world they inhabit. She is inspired by the lives she has lived and the challenges she has faced, and the result is breathtaking.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a full-time artist.

Having spent the first chunk of my life drawing and cartooning, then working in graphic design and animation, the birth of my second child gave me an opportunity to take up painting again. It was something I absolutely loved in school. Twelve years ago I attended art classes taught by Robert Champion, and he was generous enough to share so much of what he'd learnt over his career. I started by painting figures but ended up working on a commission of hydrangeas for my mum, which led to hanging a few paintings in a neighbourhood cafe and getting noticed by a Ponsonby gallery. It was a real dream come true.

What does creating mean to you?