This Emerging Artist Captures Wilderness in Colored Pencil - Written by Marissa Jensen
It’s hard to image that a little over a year ago, Jamie Carmody didn’t consider herself an artist. The lines, colors, and texture of her drawings look as if she’s been doing it her entire life. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that Carmody, who makes her home in Australia, would pick up her colored pencils to find what she had been missing.
“My husband bought me a set of colored pencils after our second son was born,” shares Carmody. “I started coloring and drawing on wrapping paper to make my own. Sean, my husband, told me I was good at it and encouraged me to continue.”
Much like drawing, Carmody didn’t grow up hunting. Once a vegan, she was drawn toward living a sustainable lifestyle. Her husband helped her see how hunting and fishing could become part of that overall picture. “Sean taught me that hunting was a lot more than going out and shooting an animal. It was the connection to the land and everything else,” she explains. “I remember when I harvested my first bird. It was an emotional experience for me. Doing it all and using every bit of the bird…I think our society has gotten a bit lazy in that sense. Everything is handed to us. Hunting has allowed me to develop this connection and a deeper understanding of the natural word.”
With her growing passion for hunting, and her newfound love for drawing, Carmody began capturing the wilderness around her. “I watched a couple of YouTube tutorials and I thought… If you can see a line, you can draw a line.”
Many of Carmody’s drawings share her combined passions and showcase bird dogs in their moments of glory, retrieving a quarry, or simply enjoying the land. Carmody has since founded Jamie Wild Art to showcase her artwork around the world and she continues to look for ways to give back to conservation through her work.
“I felt so closed minded about hunting, and how hunters give back to the land,” she says. “It’s remarkable and to give back we’ve decided to partner with our local (Australian) agencies to donate a portion of the proceeds from my art toward habitat.”
To view artwork or learn more about Jamie Carmody’s incredible story, visit: www.jamiewildart.com.
Stay up to date with our Women on the Wing stories and events by becoming a member today.
Marissa Jensen is Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Education and Outreach Program Manager