Jackie had a lengthy period of study and travel that nurtured her fascination with other cultures, introduced her to their artistic traditions and helped developed her own personal aesthetic. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, studied French languauge and culture in France, traveled throught out Europe, the Middle East, South, Southeast Asia and Australia, studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, received a degree in South Asian Studies from UBC, studied South Asian mythology, religion and folklore at the University of California at Berkeley, and completed a diploma in textile design from Capilano College in Vancouver. In 2004, she moved West Kootenays of British Columbia. There, she continues to indulge her creative side and is thankful for the opportunity to do so.

 

Jackie is drawn to the graphic nature of balck and white, so her pieces begin with designs, often inspired by natural forms, in black india ink on a ground of white paper. She next adds saturated hues in surprising colour combinations: lime green and magenta apples against a scarlet background, yellow-orange petals against a dusty pink sky, or deep violet plums and emerald leaves against palest blue. Her use of colour is perhaps the most recognizable element of her pieces and is influenced by the indigenous artistic traditions that she has experienced durning her international travel and studies. In her recent work, Jackie painstakingly cuts out her original designs and collages them to painted wood panels. She often layers several cut-outs, lending an almost 3-D quality to the completed work and allowing her to "construct" each piece.

 

Jackie is an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and has exhibited her work at venues throughout BC;

 

 The Grind Gallery and Gallery 378 in Nelson,

 

Sopa Fine Arts in Kelowna

 

 The National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre in Burnaby

 

Her work is represented in private collections in Canada, the United State and Europe. She was an invited contributor to the Kunamokst Mural Mosaic, a collaborative project unveiled at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. She is profiled in the books Art of the Kootenays and Artist of British Columbia, vol 2.