About Jilly Gray

Jilly was born the youngest of seven children in Daylesford Victoria (Australia), and moved to the beach town of Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula where she spent her childhood and high school years.

After a hole-in-the-heart diagnosis at three months old, she was labelled a ‘Cardiac Invalid’ and unable to participate in sport, and many other day-to-day activities. Her love of art was always there from the beginning, and learning to live with her limitations, Art soon consumed her life. After deciding she was going to be an artist at 5 years old, her parents put her under the guidance of a local school art teacher. This hour once a week instantly became the highlight of her week. Jill always excelled in any art and craft. After her surgery at 11 years old to correct the problems, sport soon shared list of favorite pastimes. Jilly won several places in Art Shows and colouring competitions.

‘Whilst I always wanted to be an Art Teacher, I chose Interior Design as my career path and progressed into drafting. I always managed to get the hand drafting jobs with a pen on a drawing board, avoiding computer drawing for las long as i could! I entered a few art shows and won prizes in nearly all that I entered, but still didn’t take the plunge and move into the Art world. I juggled being a manager in Fashion with wielding a chainsaw after hours to produce for a few months when making the SALTY PEARS Sculpture! Over 300 hours went into that, which was well worth it when i won the Swell Sculpture festival QT Artist Award’. It wasn’t till then that I started to refer to myself as a part time Artist.

As life progressed I moved in and out of Kitchen Design before finally in 2016 i decided to take my chances as a full time Artist. I was lucky enough to get on the set of Thor Ragnerok as Sculptor Trade Assist, It was like full time Art School Camp! It was then i decided i could never willingly go back to the retail sales world.’ After that it was an easy decision to pursue Art with intention, and I soon found myself as Artist In Resort at the Maldives. Life began!”

Exhibition and Residencies

2021 – D’Arcy Doyle Art Awards – Exhibition and guest demonstration artist

2021 – Dean Coygle Finalist

2020 – Lethbridge 2020 online exhibition

2020 – Mint Art House, Resident Artist

2019 – 4th February till June 1st ARTIST IN RESIDENCE in MOVENPICK RESORT Maldives

December 2018 – January 2019 – work Exhibited and Sales in the Beachcomber Resort Gallery Shop – sales of over eighty pieces of handmade and turned Pottery and Paintings/ Prints. Gallery/Temporary Artspace

March 2017 – Jan 2019 FreelanceArtist and Pottery Production. Handmade pottery supplied to retail outlets on the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers Region 2017 – Paintings exhibited in Mt TAMBOURINE ART GALLERY Queensland

Nov 2016 – Feb 2017 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives – teaching Classes to both Adults and Children. Artist commissioned paintings & the sale of 23 Paintings/prints

May 2016 – July 2016 employed by Village Roadshow as SCULPTOR TRADE ASSIST on the set of THOR RAGNEROCK

February 2016 to November 2016 – Exhibiting Member of URBAN PARADISE GALLERY Surfers Paradise Gold Coast Queensland (Sculpture and Paintings)

2015 – MONETS ART GALLERY Runaway Bay Gold Coast (Exhibiting Artist)

2014 – 3RD Place SALTY PEARS Sculpture – DʼARCY DOYLE INAUGURAL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL Boomerang Farm Mudgeeraba Gold Coast

2014 – A WOMANS HEART EXHIBITION Gold Coast City Gallery Robina (paintings and sculpture)

2013 – QT ARTIST AWARD – SWELL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL Currumbin Beach Gold Coast – Queensland (SALTY PEARS Sculpture)

2010 – Exhibitor ST HILDAS ART SHOW, Southport Queensland

2006 1st Place MIXED MEDIA SECTION – EMMANUEL COLLEGE INAUGURAL ART SHOW Carrara Gold Coast

1999 – 2004 -Various THEATRE BACKDROPS for a Gold Coast Dance Academy annual productions at the GOLD COAST ARTS CENTRE & ALBERT WATERWAYS HALL, as well as assisting in local College productions.

1995-99 -Studied DIPLOMA II FINE ARTS AT SOUTHERN SYDNEY ART SCHOOL KOGERAH – NEW SOUTH WALES Achieving the perfect score of 100% in Cultural Productions 1 and 99% in Cultural Productions 2. This was the first time 100% was awarded in the history of the course. Subject majors were painting and photography. 3 ARTWORK PURCHASED by the College for the COLLEGE COLLECTION (& Screen Print purchased by the Head of College for his private collection)

1988 – QUEENSLAND CERAMICS ASSOCIATION Brisbane – 1st PLACE BISQUE SECTION (Bears) & 1st PLACE BEST ENTRY IN OVERALL SHOW (Ducks) 1988 – GOLD COAST SHOW – 1st PLACE CERAMICS SECTION (Ducks)

1988 – MUDGEERABA SHOW – 1st PLACE CERAMICS SECTION (Ducks) 1986-89 Teaching Art – CERAMIC AND CRAFT CENTRE Mansfield Brisbane 3 classes per week & night enrichment courses for Emmanuel College Gold Coast Several art prizes and awards as a child