Visual Artist Jenny McCracken (vegan) - Coloring the World with Joy and Fun, Part 2 of 2

Jenny McCracken (vegan) is an award-winning mural artist, 3D chalk artist, and street painter from Australia. “So, a canvas is an individual artwork, whereas a mural, it’s more architectural, it becomes part of the building or the structure that it’s painted on. Which is why I was so interested in the 3D illusion element because you have to respond to each space individually.” “So the first water tower that I painted is in Gulargambone, that’s called ‘Lucky Dip.’ That’s the kingfisher diving into the glass of water. I had to get a special license for operating a boom lift over 11 meters – that water tower is 23 meters high.” In September 2020, it received “a stamp of approval” from Australia’s national postal service along with three other water tower murals nationwide. “The piece is called ‘Lucky Dip’ because we impact the environment in so many different ways. And I really wanted to draw attention to the fact that humans’ use of water, we have to consider the other animals. So that’s what that piece was about. And as much as I can, I try to include those kinds of thought-provoking elements into my pieces.”

Jenny is a member of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and is a vegan. “And I find that compared to some of my friends who aren’t vegan, I often recover quite a lot more quickly. I think because the food is not so heavy, it’s much easier to concentrate for longer periods of time. And I think that is to do with my physical capacity. And that’s definitely all down to being vegan.” Between vigorous travels and paintings, Jenny finds time to use her art to inspire and help others. “I’ve been doing workshops for many years now. Allambi Care is the biggest not-for-profit organization in this region, in the Hunter region, that looks after youth at risk, youth and children at risk. I’ve also run workshops in youth detention centers for youth who have been involved in crime.” “When you do artwork with the purpose of sharing it, with a purpose of uplifting people, then obviously the benefits go much wider. And it’s something that I aspire to with every opportunity that I have.”