The daughter of renowned New Zealand artist Douglas Badcock has picked up her paint brushes for the first time since she was a teenager, and soon she’ll have her second exhibition in Alexandra.

Jen Anderson was the only sibling amongst three brothers that never followed in her father’s footsteps - up until now. At 75, she’s rediscovered painting, and her love of gardening provides the perfect subject.

“My head was in a different space and I kept pushing it behind me.”

When her 13-year-old granddaughter Emily came to stay two years ago, they worked on a painting together, and that’s when the magic began.

Her brother John Badcock, of Geraldine, is Jen’s favourite artist, and he is often seen painting en plein air in the Dunedin Octagon.

“I love the freedom of his work and technique and the light. If I could paint like John I would be over the moon.”

Last year Jen held her first exhibition at the Forfar gallery in Roxburgh, submitting 33 works of art that were all very popular. 

But few people have made the connection to her Badcock roots and Jen has been hesitant to use her family name to further herself.

“I’m doing this for my own wellness and I want to keep it at a level where I’m not wanting to achieve any status,” she said. “And it could also take away the joy of painting.”

Her next exhibition - although much smaller, will be held in the Heaphy Gallery of Central Stories in March, where she will also give a talk.

Douglas Badcock died in 2009 but his paintings are still very sought after to this day, his work features many prominent landscapes mostly of the Queenstown Lakes area.

But when developers started occupying his favourite spots, he and wife Bonnie packed up and moved to Clyde.

A fulltime artist from 1949, Douglas won numerous Kelliher art awards in the 1960s, and found painting was the only thing he could do, as he struggled with asthma.

Artist Jen Anderson has been quietly producing work from her home studio in Alexandra. Image: The Central App

Son Brian is also an artist in Blenheim and David paints in Cairns. John Badcock and his youngest daughter Susan have a gallery in Geraldine where some of Douglas’ work can still be found.

Jen and her husband moved from Invercargill to Alexandra in 2013 after running a successful nursery. But first she trained as a hairdresser and owned her own salon.

The only time she’s been interested in painting was back in her middle year of high school in Queenstown. But there was no art teacher so she had to do it by correspondence.

Growing up in a family of artists, there was also that feeling of perhaps never being quite good enough, and hence why it has taken her so long to pick up the paint brushes again.

Like many artists, Jen has used inspiration from tragic events in her life including the recent loss of friends to express herself through painting.

“Douglas never taught his kids how to paint but I can understand why. I don’t think you can teach anyone to paint, it’s a process you have to go through. It’s such an individual thing that comes from you.”

What her father did teach her was how to look after your brushes - washing them in sunlight soap, before drying out in the water heater cupboard.

“My favourite smell is still turps,” she said.

John also taught her not to take art too seriously, “and that often comes to me when I’m working. Just to let go and enjoy it.”

Jen’s favourite saying comes from one of the true masters Vincent Van Gogh -“If you hear a voice within you saying, you are not a painter, then by all means paint. and that voice will be silenced.”

Jen said that’s what she’s been saying to herself her entire life, but now she’s learning to be vulnerable and just go with it.

“So many people say they can’t paint. But I question how do you know?”

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