Jo Blakely

Jo began her career as a fashion designer, studying and working in Paris. “I still love playing with the folds of drapery and pattern in my illustrations,” she admits.

“Currently with my art, I’m playing with a fusion of abstraction and representational”, she says. “I have always done both, but only recently began combining them.”

Jo reveals that she enjoys illustrating myths, religions, folk and fairy tales, or expressing something personal through multi-cultural archetypes. 1 WILD SWANS “An illustration based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale Wild Swans. The swans are her brothers and she must knit them sweaters to restore them but can’t speak until she does. There is so much sadness in this story and I love illustrating emotion.” A BEAUTI FUL DECE PTION “This was inspired by the Portuguese Man O’War: a deadly but beautiful siren. Bringing a bit more character design into my work.” AWE “Part of a series that’s a bit of a reoccurring theme in my work, of the world and universe and everything in it animated by soul. I’m a spiritual person but hate talking about it – I prefer to express it through my work.”