Jean Bardon was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1952. After graduating from Dun Laoghaire College of Art in 1974, she worked as a studio assistant in Amsterdam. It was here that she first developed an interest in etching, enrolling in a class at De Werkschuit (then located on one of Amsterdam's houseboats). Eventually she returned to Dublin, where she joined the Graphic Studio where she continued her training as an artist under the tutelage of Stephen Lawlor and James McCreary.

Her work is represented in many collections, both public and private, and she was an award winner at the RHA Annual Exhibition in 2002.