Science educator & portrait artist
Janelle Hatherly is a professional educator and writer who, since retiring from full-time employment in 2012, has committed her energies to a career as an artist. Portraiture is her passion.
Janelle is an exhibiting member of the Royal Art Society NSW and works regularly from life at their premises in North Sydney. She is also the Portrait Society of America’s (PSoA) Ambassador for Australia and New Zealand and loves networking and learning representational art in the company of the exceptional artists in both societies.
Her first significant artistic achievement was to paint the portraits of the twelve Principals of Sancta Sophia College (spanning 90 years) at the University of Sydney. This challenging project took Janelle five years (2012-2017) and was only possible because of the supportive learning culture that is Sancta.
Janelle with her Sancta Sophia College principal portraits—Warm, wise, strong women—in the Sheldon Dining Hall at Sydney University.
Janelle has been honoured as a finalist in several art contests in Australia: firstly the Ravenswood Art Prize in 2019 followed by the inaugural Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refusés in 2020.
In 2021 Janelle’s portrait At Your Service was selected as a finalist in Brisbane Portrait Prize and in 2022 Janelle won her first major art prize - the 2022 Dungog Archies.
In 2023 Janelle’s unique artistic expression Born Posthumously (a portrait in death) received an Honorary Mention in the 2023 Kennedy Art Prize and, in 2024, it was selected as one of only five Aust/NZ finalists in the PSoA’s Members Only Competition.
Janelle and Sister Mary Shanahan OAM, former Sancta principal, at the Ravenswood Art Prize 2019 exhibition with Contemplating Mary—Janelle’s interpretation of Sister Mary’s private persona juxtaposed with her College portrait which portrays her compassion and intelligence.
Soul Whisperings pictured here with Lexie Smiles was selected for the inaugural Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refusés in 2020. Lexie teaches art and, like her daughter Simonne, is an accomplished classical ballet dancer. The striking physical resemblance between them in youth made Janelle feel as though she was portraying the same person – looking optimistically forward while reflecting on a glorious past.
Writing about the visual arts is one of Janelle’s learning strategies and she regularly produces newsletters for the PSoA’s DownUnder network. As a member of the PSoA’s Literary Committee, Janelle also writes and edits articles for PSoA publications.
Communicating the visual arts is also a feature of Galleries and Gardens, a program Janelle initiated in 2005 and broadcasts fortnightly for Radio for the Print Handicapped (2RPH). She was awarded life membership when she reached twenty years of voluntary service to the station.
The majority of Janelle’s professional working life was as public programs manager in Sydney and Brisbane’s major museums and botanic gardens. Prior to that she was Head of Science at Kincoppal Rose Bay High School after teaching A and O level science in a historic London Tutorial College.
During this phase of her life, Janelle authored and edited school textbooks, numerous museum publications and popular science literature. The Publications Section of this website contains her major conference presentations and professional papers, many of which pre-date the Digital Age.
A selection of publications written and conceived by Janelle. Making science concepts and natural history accessible to students, museum visitors and professionals was one of Janelle’s earliest passions.
Janelle is a champion of all forms of learning and loves creative environments where she can share learning opportunities with others.