Jo Elswood

Biography

I am a Southampton based textile and mixed media artist taking my inspiration, like many artists, from the surrounding countryside and seashore.  My love of nature’s colours and textures, it’s decay and regeneration, it’s unique landscape and reaction to our weather and seasons, is a constant source of inspiration for me.

Artist Statement.

I work in a semi abstract way in mixed media which include, acrylic and inks, pastels and crayons, mixed papers and fabrics with hand and machine stitch, often using fragments of old maps too which show a sense of place. I constantly experiment with new ideas and layer my work to produce a 3D effect which draws the viewer in.

My aim is to produce work which the viewer finds interesting and intriguing and the subject matter of which is not always obvious to the viewer.  My approach is to play and experiment and to see what happens as I work.  Many pieces are not planned and just happen, yet some take a long while to take shape and evolve, but all must bring me joy, and much more importantly, to the viewer too.