 
Review
a selection of images by Josephine Wall
Josephine was born in Farnham, Surrey, England in 1947. Her family
moved to Poole Dorset when she was 14. A few years later she studied
for 3 years at Bournemouth Art College. Her first employment was
at Poole Pottery, where she painted the dynamic and boldly coloured
designs of the now famous Delphis ware – very collectable,
and realising high prices at auction.
Although she has an interest in all forms of craft, her first love
is painting. From childhood Josephine has had a passion for light
and colour, fantasy, and visual storytelling, the life of a painter
was clearly her destiny.
She lives contentedly with her husband at “Wisteria Cottage”,
where she works in a purpose built attic studio. The walls are covered
with a huge wisteria cascading gorgeous flowers – hand painted
of course! Josephine is convinced that working under the pyramid
shaped roof is a source of inspirational vibes !, aiding her creativity.
The rest of the cottage also displays her artistic nature, a woodland
scene and butterflies in the kitchen, flowers and birds on the furniture
and even more wisteria on the glass doors in the living room. Even
the garden doesn't escape her touch, as she loves designing unusual
features and creating an abundance of colour with a slight bias
towards the Victorian style.
 Over
the years her passion for painting has moved her from ordinary landscapes,
seascapes etc towards fantasy and surrealism. She is influenced
by the illustrative talents of Arthur Rackam (especially his fairies
and trees), the romanticism of the pre-Raphaelites, and the surrealism
of artists such as Magritte and Dali.
She uses “Cryla” artist quality acrylic paint, as it
is quick drying. To create unusual textures imitating bark, wings,
foam and lace etc she uses a palette knife. Its versatility however
also enables her to use layers of thin washes for smooth areas such
as skin, to build up luminosity. Using a very small brush (000)
she finishes off the fine detail. She paints on canvas or Masonite.
Much of the inspiration for her mystical images comes from her close
observation of nature and her interest in its preservation, a subject
very close to her heart. Though she often strives to impart a message
in her work she also hopes to inspire in her audience a personal
journey into the magical world of their own imagination.
As with most artists Jo is often asked, “where
do you get your ideas?” the answer is … “from
anywhere and everywhere”. Jo is never short of inspiration;
in fact she feels it is a race against time to produce all the images
that she has conceived. Another frequently asked question is “how
long does it take to paint one of your pieces?” the answer
is… “a life time”, because she has painted since
she was a child and the work has evolved and matured until the current
image is created. Each painting actually take on average two –
four weeks depending on size and subject.
Her work can now be found all over the world in many different forms
including, cards, stationery, puzzles, journals, bookplates, back-to-school
products, mugs, needle point kits and posters, as well as Limited
edition prints.
“Painting is more than a career to me!” she says, “it
is an all consuming obsession and love of colour and form, in fact
if I am away from my easel for too long, I become restless and anxious
to paint again". It would seem that in these troubled days
and the high pressure of life in general, more people than ever
are seeking the escapism of fantasy and surrealism.
In addition to an annual London exhibition held by the Society for
Art of the Imagination to which Jo belongs, her work can be found
in galleries all over the south of England, but most of her success
is in the U.S.A. Next spring a book is to be published titled “The
Fantasy World of Josephine Wall”, containing much more information
and over 100 images, some of which have never been seen.
Josephine Wall
July 2005
Review
a selection of images by Josephine Wall
Visit the web site of artist Josephine
Wall
Inspired by the world famous artist Josephine Wall, her fabulous artwork adorns the manor. Isle of Wight 5 star exclusive breaks. Why not come and have a luxury Isle of Wight dream experience, a haven that is not only the perfect place for a tranquil and relaxing break on the Isle of Wight but also a AA 5 star sanctuary that is very special and unique.
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