Winter 2026 Artist of the Season
This winter’s Artist of the Season, Jo Faulkner, captures countryside vistas and expressive florals in watercolor, gouache, and oil. Sketchbook always in tow, Jo draws inspiration from garden walks and travels near and far. With roots in textile print design, Jo’s practice is shaped by meditative observation, spontaneous experimentation, and creative authenticity. Jo lives and works in her hometown of London, England.
Original works and edition prints are available for purchase throughout the show.
NAME: Jo Faulkner
INSTAGRAM: @Jo__Faulkner
STUDIO SNACK: Chocolate biscuits
FLOWER: Nasturiums, geraniums, Rudbeckia, anemones, Icelandic poppies....daffodils!....Sorry, there's no way I can pick just one.
MUSEUM: Musée d'Orsay in Paris
SCENT: Tomato leaf
When did you first realize you were an artist?
Only a few years ago, really. I began to notice that my entire day felt brighter, and my mind clearer, whenever I spent time drawing or painting.
How has your art or process evolved over the years?
After so many years working as a textile print designer, I had to retrain myself to think differently about composition and colour balance.
I used to approach a canvas the way I approached a pattern repeat. Now I spend more time drawing in my sketchbook, finding compositions that feel alive and intentional.
We're big fans of your pastoral scenery and florals. How do you select your subject matter? How does each painting come to life?
I am drawn to the balance between negative space and natural forms, and the contrast between organic shapes and sharper elements like shadows, edges, or man-made structures. A painting usually begins with that contrast and evolves from there.
We love getting to peek inside the pages of your sketchbook. Are spontaneous observational studies always part of your process, or do you also create from memory and imagination?
I rarely draw from memory or imagination. Observational drawing is meditative for me. I like the built-in limitations of drawing what is in front of me, and those constraints can be surprisingly creative.
Keeping a sketchbook is a relatively new habit, but I am hooked. My New Year’s resolution was to sketch so often around friends and family that they would stop noticing. I am almost there....!
How does life in London inform your work?
Even though I often draw nature, London feeds my creativity in countless ways. The art museums, the layers of history, the diversity of cultures, all of it is inspiring.
Nature is always changing. Is there a season that you particularly favor as a source of inspiration?
Late summer, especially the evening light just before the leaves begin to change. It's very magical.
Do you ever feel creatively ‘stuck’ and, if so, how do you work through it?
Yes, very regularly, and I am actually an advocate for it. Feeling stuck often leads to the most exciting discoveries. The important thing is to keep working through the frustration, because you never know what new mark or process might appear. When I feel a painting is not working, I cut it up and repurpose it. There is something wonderfully liberating about taking scissors to your own work.
Who, what, or where has inspired you lately?
Over the past year, I have been drawn to Greek mythology and the stories of women in Ancient Greece. Exploring the museums in Athens sparked a huge wave of inspiration, and the rugged landscapes of the country stayed with me long after I left.
Closer to home, I recently visited Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, which was owned by Jim and Helen Ede. The natural light, the arrangements, and placements made a big impression on me. Everything is in its right place, and everything has been considered.
What’s next on your reading list?
I am in a James Baldwin phase at the moment. I love the pace and warmth of his writing. I am also about to start Art Monsters by Lauren Elkin.
Is there a color you gravitate toward in your work or life?
Tomato red and olive green, always.
Is there a particular feeling or message you hope your work conveys?
I hope my paintings convey tenderness and a sense of calm. By focusing on natural landscapes, I aim to celebrate nature’s wild beauty while also acknowledging what is being lost. But I also love the idea that the viewer might find their own personal meaning in the work.
What advice would you give to an emerging artist? What has been important to you in building a life as an artist?
Trust what feels true to you. Avoid making work you think others will like, because you will end up going in circles.
And keep drawing, even if it feels hard some days to take a pencil out and nothing looks right.
Your ideal day:
Drawing on a long walk in the countryside, great snacks… a bright cold day, with a pub at the end and a seat by the fire.
THANK YOU, JO!
