Into the Artist's World with Jo Rance

This month i chatted to Cambridge based artist Jo Rance....

How do you get inspired when you feel
creatively stuck? 

I tend to go into a gather and collect mindset - usually by having a change of scenery, visiting a new garden or landscape I haven’t experienced before, or digging back into my ever growing
collection of vintage nature reference books.

My mind on the daily is a melting pot of everything I’ve absorbed, so when I’m feeling creatively stuck I try to strike a balance between filling my cup and leaving enough space to process and think things through.

Which is your favourite season and why? 

Spring! Always Spring! I could talk about my love for Spring until the cows come home. The promise of a new year signalled by daffs rearing their heads and tiny little shoots pushing up and through the earth, or the crisp air softened by that end of Winter/early spring sunshine!

I love nature’s palette in Spring, the pastels and sharp greens are some of my favourites. It just feels like a really hopeful time seasonally, especially here in England. A lot of my favourite poetry references Britain in Spring too.

What’s your relationship with nature?
Do you draw inspiration from the natural world? How and where?

 My relationship with nature is an intrinsic part of my being. My painting practice is derived from the need to
process and translate the joy that it is to be outdoors. I love being outside in a simple way - the walks you have as part of your routine near where you live or the same birds you see out your window most mornings. I try not to over complicate things - the beauty of nature in our everyday lives, if we are lucky
enough to have the time to notice it, is my biggest inspiration.

What is your favourite medium to work in and why?

 I love working with Acrylic paint, mixed with a few other varieties of fast drying mediums (Acryla Gouache, Gouache, Flashe etc.) I love the immediacy of Acrylic, something that you only
get because of its drying time. It allows me to work at whatever pace I get into rhythm with, and I never feel constrained. 

How would you describe your artistic style and how has it changed over time?

This is a tricky question as I rarely
think about an overarching style, my paintings just seem to happen slowly and then all at once, like they were always there in my subconscious just queuing politely until it was their turn to meet the canvas.

I’d say my style has elements of both impressionism and expressionism, but is ultimately rooted in my personal instincts when it comes to colour and mark making.

My paintings have become more refined over time as I’ve honed my craft, something that will be ever evolving for as long as I am painting!

How do you know when a piece of art is finished? 

 In the past my answer to this question would have been probably 1 or 2 hours before I thought it was finished - I had the tendency to overwork paintings! Over time my sensitivity towards when a work is to be classed as ‘finished’ is heightened, so I’d say rather
unhelpfully, it’s just an inner sense and feeling that the work is saying everything it needs to say.

Are you self -taught or did you go to art school? 

In terms of painting I am largely self taught, however I do have a degree in Woven Textiles from Loughborough University which has informed my methods of research and inspiration gathering, as well as the way I see the world and everything that there is to be drawn from it.

I loved my degree and it was the best way to learn about colour, patterns, visual research and creating collections that feel harmonious. These are all skills I use daily as a painter!