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I live in a little village near Brighton, with my husband, two daughters, plus our Cat Hatty and Hamster Holly. We are lucky to have the south downs right on our doorstep with not one, but three windmills to explore close by. I have a cosy studio at the bottom of my garden where I work.
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| Jojo's Studio |
What do you like about working there?
I love where I live for the beautiful countryside, plus a vibrant city and the seaside, all within easy reach. Working from home is a real luxury. To have a dedicated space to work and get messy, being able to leave art in progress without having to tidy up everyday, is just great. I’m a messy person that doesn't like mess, so this helps keep me sane and lets the work flow more naturally. Also, I’m a real homebody so it’s always been my dream to work from home, I feel very lucky.
What do you love most about being an illustrator?
Um, just everything! Drawing, painting, reading, making up stories and characters, admiring lots of other beautiful work, it really is my dream vocation.
How do you work – what are your techniques?
I think this is still changing for me all the time, but currently, I start with very loose watercolours and ink, then I work into those with coloured pencils and markers. Finally, I take the image into procreate and work over it digitally. I start this whole process with lots of messy pencil thumbnails.
What is your favourite thing to draw and why?
Drawing characters, especially animal characters at the moment - cats seem to be my favourite, probably because I have a big old tabby called Hatty who is my studio buddy. I also love drawing the different environments for my characters to live in. Woodland, mountains, towns, psychedelic fields… and I find foliage and florals really therapeutic.
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| Hatty the Cat! |
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| Psychedelic Fields |
I get inspired by my everyday life; my family, where I live, things I notice when I’m out for a run or walking the kids to school. But I also get a lot from visiting new places, either far flung or closer to home, both can be so inspiring. We visited Lyme Regis for the first time this year and I loved the different scenery and coast line.
Do you have a favourite illustrator?
Too many! I admire so many people’s work. Marc Martin, Katie Vernon, Rebecca Green, Marianna Coppo and Isabelle Arsenault are probably top of my list currently, their work constantly takes my breath away. And I have always adored Sara Fanelli and Tove Jansson’s work.
What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not illustrating?
Oo, well having two young daughters keeps me pretty busy! But when I have a bit of free time I also make silver jewellery, which I sell online and at fairs, along with my illustrated cards and prints.
I find the one drawback of being an illustrator is being sat down most of the time, so I try to be active whenever I can by going to Yoga, walking lots and (short) runs in the countryside. I really, really want a dog for some company, so I spend a fair amount of time researching that at the moment…
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| Jojo's Jewellery |
How did you get into illustration?
After graduating with a degree in Illustration, I worked with both gift and book publishers as an in-house designer until 2007, when I went Freelance. In the last few years, I decided to follow my dream to illustrate again, enrolling on lots of online courses to build my portfolio. I started with a Make Art That Sells class and never looked back really.
What are your three top tips for aspiring illustrators?
1. Draw as much as possible, and as many different things as possible. It’s easy to keep drawing the same things over and over but by drawing, say, the contents of your fridge, you will really push your observation skills and surprise yourself.
2. Take some online classes if you can. There is always something new to learn and the community you find can be really supportive. I’ve made some lovely friends from these classes too.
3. Persevere. Illustration is very competitive but I like the quote “a rising tide lifts all boats” there is room for everyone if you work hard and keep true to yourself.
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| Jojo's Sketchbook |
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| Animal fun! |
What were your favourite books when you were younger?
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. Goodness knows how many times my lovely Mum read that book to me as a child, I know every detail of every page - pure magic. I also loved Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree and The Enchanted Wood.
What was the last book you read? What did you think?
I’ve just finished, and really enjoyed, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book is a beautiful read, I’d recommend that to everyone.
What are your aspirations for the rest of the year?
To keep working on my art for picture books, especially my human characters, and expanding my portfolio by venturing out of my studio and doing some more drawing from life.
What’s your ultimate dream?
Stories and pictures have inspired and delighted me for my whole life, so if I could create a book that sparks that joy in someone else, that’s a legacy I’d be more than happy with.
Welcome to the family, Jojo!
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