I have a bit of time just now to reappraise myself as a painter/artist and to try new things. As an artist I am torn between the many diverse appraoches to art that I see in work I admire to distraction! But an artist needs to be themselves and this is not always easy when we have absorded so many of the ideas of others. I default to painting what I see and makes me happy. This usually means landscape. But what do I feel? Should I find ways of enhancing mood or some element that I experience? This is what most artists actually do I think. They take an element and animate it, focus on it to better communicate it. It could be colour, mood or something surreal or sinister. I suppose!
I am attending a course run by the Royal Drawing School exploring imaginative responses. This makes me feel a bit schizophrenic or even like an imposter. Who is the real Jo? Anyway it is fun. Below is some of the work so far. See? How does this fit with my normal work?

Enjoyed doing this wee portrait.

Buttering about with my new palette knife. Looking across the estuary from our top floor which is also my studio.

(pic: David Strickland, student)

I have moved to Exmouth in East Devon. Currently planning courses in the area.

Recently completed teaching included 3 x 10 weeks courses in Cornwall and a week long course in Tuscany for the St Ives School of Painting. More info below.

See a selection of work by students from a variety of my courses here

10 week courses:

-Exploring Watercolour: landscape, still life, sketching, portraiture. For beginners and intermediate.

-Drawing and Painting for All: Starting with drawing skills and trying acrylics and watercolours. For beginners and intermediate.

-Landscape: Using acrylics, watercolours, mixed media and oils. For beginners and intermediate.

(pic: Sarah Dudley, student)

Recent teaching in Tuscany at Casole D’Elsa with the St Ives School of Painting

 

Casola d’Elsa and the Verrochio Art Centre
Personal Journeys
13-23 Sept 2014

The St Ives school of Painting runs courses in Tuscany at the Verrochio Art Centre and I was lucky enough to be running one called Personal Jounreys. The centre is within the ancient walls of the small hilltop town of Casola d’Elsa overlooking the magical Tuscan countryside.

Above 2 works by students on Tuscany course.

I was one of the artists on a project to attract custom to libraries. I made the Doodle Desk or Drawing Booth, a flat packable book with four stations for drop in experimental drawing games.

In Bodmin, amongst other activities I did a collaborative drawing of a train (local to Bodmin) in which people did a square each in a variety of black and white media.