Jodi Lewis

Background

Since studying painting and drawing in high school many moons ago, I've been captivated and inspired by those who painted realistic portraits in the hundreds of years before we had photography. Their likeness of the subject, the details, the colours, the overall tones and placements, often completed in dim light and testing circumstances. A moment in time that took time, and deft skill to capture. Their modern moment that is now how we see, and extrapolate, history; a lasting legacy.

So now, after transitioning from my school days of detailed greyscale sketches with graphite pencils, I create multi-hued oil paintings, and my own little slice of history through the lens of realism.

I started my journey in South Australia (Festival of Arts, grade 4 primary school), developed it living a few decades up and down the coast of Queensland (inspirational canvas of my life), and am now located in Shepparton, Victoria where I have exhibited at the annual SAM OPEN each year since its opening in 2022.

Philosophy

I believe that art has the power to take you places and get in your faces. My goal as an artist is to create work that not only looks beautiful, but also resonates with the viewer on a deeper level. We take enough photos with filters and different exposures. Painting is the up close, unedited version.

Style

My artistic paint style has developed over the years to become more detailed and realistic, akin to my earlier graphite sketches, using the smallest of paint brushes, and maybe a finger or four, to build delicate depth and tones.

Oil paint allows me to bring softness and depth to my paintings, enabling me to layer detail and create three-dimensional realism that reflects the multifaceted nature of human experience. The medium gives me the time to blend and refine each painting, just as we refine our understanding of ourselves and others over time. The long-lasting nature of oil paint mirrors the lasting impact of the moments I seek to preserve—the connection between what is seen and unseen, known and hidden.

Jodi Lewis

Background

Philosophy

Style

Awards

2025