This week Brighton Journal spoke to local illustrator, Josie Jo. Josie takes inspiration from people and animals to create her bright and cheerful illustrations. She’s worked on incredible projects, including a commission with Avon for International Women’s Day, and Marks & Spencers.
Josie is the co-founder of Sussex Contemporary Illustrators and Printmakers (SCIP), who have been supporting their followers with an online project called #myscipart. Make sure to follow along at home! The project focuses on family-friendly crafts, using supplies from the cupboard. For inspiration, take a look at Josie’s wonderfully colourful work.
What are you doing today?
Today I am making bunting with my eldest daughter to celebrate VE Day this Friday.  I am a co-founder of SCIP (Sussex Contemporary Illustrators and Printmakers) and we are currently supporting our followers with an online project called #myscipart which features various craft and home arts you can do yourself or with your family during the lock down with the limited resources you may have in your cupboard. As part of that we have been invited by Seaford Town Council to do a series of activities for people to take part in on the lead up to V-E Day and we hope that homes all around the county will be strewn with festive bunting and adorned with brightly coloured poppies by Friday. We have also baked some Lamingtons so I’ve eaten most of them already.
Describe where you do most of your creative work.
Most of my drawing happens in the lounge at home.  It’s our sunniest room and has the most comfortable seat in the house. It always feels less formal than sitting at my desk in the studio and somehow that seems to help with my creative thought process.
What’s the most exciting thing you’ve worked on?
Gosh, it’s actually hard to chose as I generally get so excited whenever a commission rolls in, my inner child always runs about high-fiving the air that someone is paying me to do something I truly love. My most recent job was for Avon and celebrated International Women’s Day, it was amazing to see my work animated so that was great.  I’ve also had some pretty lovely commissions from Marks and Spencers for their online blog, one was drawing around flat lay photographs of kids clothing and that was so much fun. I also got to live draw at Pecha Kucha Brighton earlier this year, that was really amazing as it’s such an inspiring night and all the speakers were fantastic so trying to capture their essence and what they were talking about was both challenging and enlightening.
What made you decide to become an artist?
I have always loved to draw from when I could hold a pencil so I guess it was just a natural progression through life that lead me here.
What are you currently working on?
In all honesty I am currently working on staying sane, I am home schooling my 4 year old with a 1 year old in tow and trying to squeeze in various little projects. Â I have devoted some time to #myscipart as it fits in well with home learning. Â I am also working on some digital sketch book work which often ends up feeding in to print or product work later down the line.
What are the key themes in your work?
People, I love to capture characters and animals! Bright colour and pattern excite me so my work always looks cheerful.
What would you like people to notice about your work?
I hope people see the positivity in my work and they appreciate my drawn line.
What attracts you to the medium you work in?
I did work in pen and ink for many years but I have had to modernise my ways of working. Â I now use iPad Pro which has revolutionised the way I work, I love having all the different media available for me to use with out having to spend time setting it all up. Â Time is such a precious commodity when you have a young family.
What equipment could you not do without?
My iPad, my iPad charger, my apple pencil.  I still love my pens and water colour pencils and paints but I’m a convert. (There I said it, it is no longer a dirty little secret)
Who or what inspires you?
I’ve had the privilege of working with some exceptional illustrators and printmakers throughout my career.  I am always in awe of the work they produce for exhibitions SCIP have curated and it always inspires me to see the different ways in which they approach the same brief.  I find inspiration around me in my day to day, from fabric print on kids clothing to funny things my children say.
How is your work affected by living in this area?
It’s hard not to be inspired by the sea and the characters it attracts from the day visitors to the holiday makers to the fishermen and the local artists there is always a sausage dog and it’s owner to draw, or you may even chance upon a nude cyclist if you are lucky!
What’s your favourite thing to do locally?
Lately I have re-discovered the beautiful Sussex landscape, slow jogging with views of the national park has been pretty amazing.
What’s your favourite gallery (or place to see/experience art)?
In London it’s the V&A for the huge variety of collections and the celebration of craft and print all displayed in a beautiful historical building.  Locally it has to be The Towner, they have really got it just right, so many inspiring exhibitions in a really surprising space in Eastbourne.
If you could collaborate with one artist, from any time, who would it be and why?
Quentin Blake, his style of drawing and way of working is what inspired me as a child. I loved the Roald Dahl books but it was the pictures which really brought them to life for me. Â I love his sense of line and the way I connect with his work. Â I have loved seeing many of his original works at Hastings Contemporary, even though he is so established his work always feels so fresh.
What’s your favourite colour?
Red. Pillar box Fire Engine red. Â It is the colour I have just finished painting my front door, and the colour I dreamt of having my front door ever since I was a child and I saw it on the front door of the little cottages in the fairy tale books I used to read.
To find out more about Josie and her work, take a look at her website.
