A Passionate man, Tim Jarvis AM Environmental scientist
Penny MacLaren
A Passionate man, Tim Jarvis AM Environmental scientist [detail] 2026
Portrait of Tim Jarvis AM
Oil on canvas
40 x 30 cm
About the Artwork
Tim Jarvis AM has captivated many with his environmental achievements and enormous passion for the future of our planet. My admiration for his hands-on approach to change-making led me to choose him as my subject for this portrait. Tim is known for leading expeditions to some of the world’s most remote places, and in an effort to raise awareness of climate change, he climbed 29 mountains that still had glaciers.
In 2019, Tim founded The Forktree Project, involving restoring 54 hectares of degraded South Australian farmland, demonstrating the immense possibilities in terms of land regeneration, carbon offsetting, and biodiversity benefits. I hope to convey his passion, strength and determination here. The books are a nod to his extensive education and intelligence, and his jumper is the one he wore on his Shackleton expedition. The light on his face is symbolic of looking forward with hope.
About the Artist
Penny MacLaren is a South Australian artist based in the Adelaide Hills. She has completed art training in both Australia and the UK, and worked as a senior art teacher for 25 years. Her artworks are largely realistic, most often portraits, landscapes, and wildlife. The artist says: “I enjoy capturing not only the likeness of people and animals, but also their character, patterns and idiosyncrasies. I convey these through a wide variety of drawing mediums, acrylic and oil paint.”
Penny has been a finalist in many national portrait awards as well as the international Inglis Equine Art Prize. She has won major awards in the Solar Art Prize in 2024 and 2025.