ABOUT ME

Born in Greenock in the West of Scotland, my interest in art began when my parents took me to “Miss Francis” – a very special lady who ran a kindergarten school from her house on the Esplanade, five minutes walk from our house. Miss Francis used to tell the children a story each day, illustrating each event in the story with coloured chalk on the blackboard. It was the highlight of my day!

Each child had a tin box of chalks and a drawing book interleaved with tissue paper to keep the chalk drawings from smudging. I still have that drawing book – kept by my father in his filing cabinet for years before he rediscovered it and handed it on to me.

Jo in greenhouse with grape vine
In my greenhouse last year

From such early encouragement, I continued to develop my artistic abilities at Greenock Academy and later, at Loudoun Academy, Ayrshire, under the inspiring tutelage of art teacher David Longmuir.

I completed my formal art education at Glasgow School of Art, and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee. After a fulfilling teaching career in Scottish schools, I retired early to concentrate on my painting.

My other interests can be found on my LinkTree page – HERE


 

kindergarten chalk drawing
One of my early masterpieces “Mother hanging out the washing” Pastel chalk on Sugar Paper