In conversation with Jo Holdsworth 

Jo Holdsworth’s year has been quite a whirlwind. With her paintings on album and magazine covers, Battersea’s Affordable Art Fair in spring and exciting shows in London and further afield, Jo’s art is going from strength to strength. We caught up with Jo at her Wimbledon studio and asked her about her recent shows and her plans for the future.

Jo, tell us about some of the major shows you have been involved in this year? 

Two of the shows that really stand out have been ‘Art Save the Queen’ at the Oxo Gallery on the South Bank and Art for Cure’s show ‘Fanfare’ in Suffolk. The Queen exhibition curated by Ad Lib Gallery coincided with Her Late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and was such a contemporary celebration of the Queen’s reign. It was wonderful to be part of such an iconic show. 

‘Fanfare’ in Suffolk was another very special exhibition, celebrating raising a million pounds for breast cancer charity, Art For Cure and included such beautiful work in such a stunning setting. It was fabulous to be invited to be part of such an uplifting and memorable event, helping to raise money for such a fantastic cause. 

Can you tell us more about your painting on the album cover?

I was thrilled to be asked if one of my paintings ‘Linear’ could be used on an album cover by indie folk rock band Tenfields. I have always loved contemporary music and I was delighted that the band connected with my work so well. The piece the band chose is dramatic and full of light and the final album which was released at the beginning of this year looks fantastic.

Can you tell us about your wonderful commissioned paintings?

I love working on commissioned pieces for some very special clients. One such amazing painting was a large seascape of a family in Wimbledon showing them walking along the beach with their dog. The commissioning process was seamless with the client having some lovely ideas on the project and sending me great photos of each family member. The clients knew my style and gave me the freedom to create a dynamic and expressive work, with the resulting painting reflecting their gorgeous family perfectly.

And you have appeared on an excellent podcast this year. Can you tell us a bit about that? 

I was invited by ex BBC journalist Bob Chaundy to appear on his podcast Considering Art. It was great to talk about the background to my work and what inspires me. It has been lovely to hear how much people have enjoyed connecting with the ideas behind my paintings. You can listen to the podcast here https://consideringart.com/2022/01/24/considering-art-podcast-jo-holdsworth-painter/

What events are coming up?

I have some exciting exhibitions and events coming up including paintings showing in London, Cornwall and Manchester. I am also delighted to have been invited to exhibit in Art for Youth London again, a wonderful charity show at Mall Galleries supporting the worthwhile charity UK Youth. It is a fabulous show in a super location with lots of beautiful art. More details about this London show which is on from 1-4 November 2022 can be found here https://artforyouth.com.

How do we get our hands on a Jo Holdsworth original?

Clients are welcome to get in touch at jo@joholdsworthstudio.com. Depending on what they are looking for, I can put them in touch with one of my galleries, they can browse and choose a painting at a show or we can discuss commissioning their own bespoke piece. The main thing is that clients have something they totally connect with. When someone finds a piece of art they love, it is an amazing feeling. I always feel completely honoured to have one of my paintings hanging in a client’s home.