Jacqueline Ellens was born into an army family and by the time she was five, had lived in four states and two countries. Her family finally settled in the Michigan area where she spent her teenage years. As a young adult, she attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and majored in Fine Art with a minor in Art History.

After she finished school, she showed her paintings, fabric sculptures and prints extensively throughout the tri-state region before uprooting and moving to New York City. Once in New York, Jacqueline landed a job with a small ad-agency and learned the tools of the trade working on print ads and collateral for clients that ranged from scuba diving suppliers to book publishers. In the early 80’s, Jackie joined the creative group of HBO.

In total, she spent an exciting eight years living and working in Manhattan before marrying a Southern boy and moving to Mississippi. Jacqueline has lived in the Jackson metro area for over 20 years and worked for the local NBC affiliate for most of that time. She was responsible for marketing the local television programs to the public and assisted in writing and producing TV commercials, radio spots, and newspaper ads. Jacqueline completed her MBA at Mississippi College in Clinton several years ago.

Jackie paints landscapes from her travels and images from her life in Mississippi. You will frequently see her travels, animals, friends, and the Southern landscape in her paintings. She experiences the world as trembling with energy and she conveys that impression of energy and movement in her paintings with powerful, expressive strokes.