Jo trained in Fine Art at the University of Reading, then moved to the West Midlands where she gained a postgraduate qualification at Birmingham City University. During the course of her teaching and lecturing career in London and the Midlands, she extended her skills to incorporate illustration and graphic design and has recently relocated to York.
As a nature lover who has always lived near cities, Jo’s work is a response to the wildlife in her immediate environment and is inspired by elements of both worlds. The majority of her imagery is based on our native and visiting birds, those we see in and around our gardens, parks and woodlands.
Her interest in printmaking and in particular screen-printing, has led to the use of stencils to create images. There is a long tradition of this technique in the visual arts. ‘Pochoir plates’ (or stencils) were used to create the illustrations in French fashion journals of the 1920s and 30s and today urban graffiti artists use similar techniques, often on a far larger scale.
After creating her stencils, Jo uses acrylic and spray paint to combine the imagery with painted, textural backgrounds. Once made, the stencilled image can be recreated or ‘reprinted’ in a variety of ways, allowing her to develop the image further. Each of Jo’s images are unique rather than part of an edition.
The artist has exhibited work extensively both in the UK and abroad and had a major solo show at the Scottish Ornithologists Club in Aberlady, Scotland. Jo is a regular exhibitor at the international Bird Fair in Rutland and has work in many private collections.
To see more of Jo’s work, visit www.joruth.com.
Mall Galleries, London
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Bond Gallery
Birmingham University
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Courtyard Centre for the Arts,Hereford
International BirdFair, Rutland
Oog Vor Natuur, Netherlands
Birdscapes Gallery Norfolk
Art&York
York Open Studios
York Printmakers 