I have always been creative and in my teens I painted in oils.  In early adulthood I explored many crafts and textile design on a commercial level.

Gardening is one of my passions too and I gained a qualification in Horticulture and Garden Design in 2002.  This included painting images of the gardens I was designing to help clients to envision them.  This took me back into painting and I began studying watercolours when on holiday in Scotland as this was the only time I had to indulge myself.  I sold my first painting there and this spurred me on to develop my talent further.  I joined a night class to learn more, became hooked and have not been able to stop painting since.

My paintings cover a wide range of subjects including birds and animals – whatever inspires me at the time.

The movement of water and different light conditions fascinate me so I love painting land, seas and skies. I enjoy capturing the beauty of the natural world and hope my work will uplift the viewer and fill them with a sense of place.

I paint in watercolours and acrylics mainly and also do encaustic work now and then.  This is painted by melting wax on an iron before smoothing it onto the surface.  Other heated tools can be used to work up the picture. I am really enjoying experimenting with this, creating fantasy landscapes which are totally different from my other work.

I have exhibited at various locations in England and Scotland and my work has sold internationally.  My work can be seen at www.joannablackburnart.com and www.facebook.com/JoannaBlackburnPaintings/