About the Artist

Llona Ney Jensen

A dog that was trained not to let her out of the yard and a mother who daily said “go outside and play” led Llona to explore the outdoors at a very early age. This enchantment with the natural world has remained the focus of Llona’s life, her art, and her career choices.

 

Growing up, she lived on the Georgia coast. In early adulthood, she moved to northern Wisconsin, a land of many lakes, rivers, and close to Lake Superior. She now lives in the mountains of central Idaho, another place replete with many bodies of water. “I’ve always felt I have a connection with water and the ever-changing patterns of light. Living near water has always influenced my life and work.”

 

Another focus of her art and career choices, which can’t be separated from her attraction to water in all its forms, is a wide variety of outdoor activities and jobs. She has worked most of her life in the cross-country ski industry: managing a Nordic ski center in northern Wisconsin, owning a Nordic ski shop, and teaching many thousands of Nordic ski lessons. Also, in northern Wisconsin, she guided kayak trips on Lake Superior and worked on a Loon research project for ten years. In Idaho, she worked for the Forest Service monitoring woodpeckers, Great Gray Owls, and Big Horn Sheep. “I have been fortunate to be able to have the outdoors not only as my passion but as my career.”

 

Now living in McCall, Idaho, Llona is able to be more active with her artwork. Fortunately, central Idaho has a wealth of beauty, special places, and water! Her work tries to capture the experiences and beauty she encounters, as well as some of the activities she enjoys.