Jacqueline Ellens loved art from an early age, though she was born into an army family. By the time she was 5 years old, she had lived in 2 countries and 4 states. Finally, her family decided to settle in the Michigan area where the artist spent her teenage years. She attended the University of Michigan as a young adult, and majored in fine art with a minor in art history. Just after graduation, she showed her prints, fabric sculptures and paintings extensively throughout the region before moving to New York City. Here, she got a job with a small advertising agency and learned the tools of the trade while working on collateral and print ads for clients. The clients she dealt with ranged from Book Publishers to Scuba Diving Suppliers. In the early 1980s, she joined the creative group of HBO.
Jacqueline spent an exhilarating 8 years working and living in Manhattan before she got married to a Southern man and moved to Mississippi. She has lived in the Jackson metro area for more than 2 decades and worked for the local National Broadcasting Company affiliate for most of that time. Jacqueline was responsible for marketing the local television programs to the public. She also wrote and produced radio spots, Television commercials, and newspaper ads. She completed her Master of Business Administration at Mississippi College in Clinton and now owns Southern Breeze Gallery, in Ridgeland. The artist paints images from her life in Mississippi and landscapes from her travels.