About Jenni

Hi I’m a photographic artist and writer based in Fife, Scotland who creates one off art works from my photographs by etching designs directly into the photographic emulsion.

I’ve been a photographer for over thirty years and a photographic artist for ten. In March 2018 I independently published a children’s book called Folkland Fables, which features pictures and stories of the fairytale creatures I meet while walking in my local woods, then August 2023 I published my first novel. It’s about a secret society who provide crucial support for the people fairies take an interest in.

If you’d have told me in April 2013 that I’d become a writer I’d have laughed you out of the room. This is not something I ever expected I’d be doing.

It all started at the May 2013 Open Studios North Fife event, where I exhibited a couple of etched mythical creatures. While chatting to visitors I told them some silly stories I’d made up about the creatures while etcheing them. Several people told me I should make these into a book, but I laughed and replied that I couldn’t write. You have to be good at English to write!

Three days later I woke up with the opening line in my head. I spent the whole morning panicking, then settled down to start writing my first book.

Writing fiction has been a revelation to me. It is fascinating, exciting, and above all brilliant fun to create different worlds in words as well as in pictures. I love watching my characters’ stories come to life on paper from my random thoughts and ideas, and watching an initial muddle of ideas untangle into coherent and flowing sentences.

A lot of my inspiration comes from my local area (the beautiful Howe of Fife) and the photos for Folkland Fables were all taken on Falkland Estate where I spend many happy hours wandering with and without my camera.

I put a lot of symbolism into my work: some of which is personal, reflecting my own experiences but most of which is familiar and universally recognisable.

In 2019 I got RSI in my etching hand, and after a long recovery I can now only etch for half the amount of time I used to. This all means I had to find some other way to spend my days, so in May 2021 I started writing a novel.

Thank you for visiting my site and please enjoy looking through my art.