Joanna’s love of drawing and creating go back as far as she can remember. Art is the one constant that has been present through every phase of childhood till present day. Joanna’s early professional work was in portraiture and equestrian art.  This work was photo-realist in oils.  This repertoire quickly broadened into a range of nature inspired pieces, often depicting birds in flight or being freed from cages. The cultural influence of Japan is also to be seen in gold leaf works and misty mountain-scapes. 

Joanna’s art practice includes bespoke art pieces, freelance art and illustration, print collections, wallpaper design and mural painting.  Joanna is also available as a workshop teacher and private art tutor for one to one or group teaching sessions.

Artist’s Statement

To be an artist is a risk, a step into the unknown. Not just emotionally, but spiritually, mentally and financially.  

I have devoted my life thus far ( I am 48) to art, but I think that statement romanticizes the journey. The journey has been fraught with challenges and trials. It is not a flight of whimsy or an avoidance of reality. Quite the opposite I would say. The artist sees the reality that lies beneath and to paint is to lay the truth of one's soul on the canvas. This takes immense courage.  

The creative mind-scape is a vast wilderness that must be navigated with blind faith and intuition. There is no clear path, no instruction manual, the terrain is beset with pitfalls of self doubt, questioning, inner turmoil, introspection and frustration. So why pursue it you may ask? Because, for me, on the horizon of the wilderness is a vision of beauty like a mirage in the desert that I yearn to express and share. For a long time I think my paintings were an endeavour to create a safe and beautiful space to dwell within, but I feel a shift taking place where I am ready to step into the vision.

I have tormented myself, as I am sure many artist's have, with the question of am I even an artist? What am I doing? There are frequent temptations to 'get a real job', and 'be financially responsible'. But regardless of material or worldly situations I have remained committed to art my whole life from my earliest memories until now, it is in me and always has been.  

I look at a wall and want to paint it, I look at furniture and want to paint it, even clothes, every surface is an opportunity to adorn it with a celebration of beauty.  And it is precisely because of this that I have questioned if I am an artist because surely artists just paint in oils on canvas and exhibit in galleries but my inspiration often travels beyond the canvas to the whole room, the walls, the furniture, the lighting, the fabrics, glass, ceramics etc.  

Two of my favourite artists are Alphonse Mucha and Gustav Klimt perhaps for similar reasons that their art was not limited to the canvas. From theatre posters to jewellery to the the monumental Slav Epic in Prague, Mucha was prolific in his expression of art. Klimt's love of ornament and embellishment and of course the beautiful Vienna Seccession building are always a source of inspiration to me as much as his forest and flower paintings.  

My aim with my art is to share a vision of beauty and if that spills out beyond the canvas that is ok, I am still an artist!