Jo's Art Studio

I am Joanne M Jacobs.  The love and appreciation of art has always been a part of my life. My mother was a trditional artist, always encouraging my efforts and teaching me simple techniques in painting.  

In my youthful days, I was quite active painting especially.  Most of my early paintings were either sold or given away.  I went through a major crisis when I was 17 which carried over into my adult life.  With marriage and a move to Alaska in 1977, I swithched mediums from canvas to fossil walrus ivory as a scrimshaw artist. I taught myself how to etch the ivory, creating my own style, from simple Alaskan wildflowers and wildlife to working on custom orders. During my Alaskan years I always signed my work as "Jo"  and a date on the larger pieces. My favorite ivory to work on was mammoth and whales teeth. In the back of my mind I wondered if I'd ever paint again.

In 1987 we made a major move to Aptos California. Due to illness and raising of two children, I put my work on hold. I did try to instill in my children a creative awareness and appreciation for the arts. We spent time on creative projects, trips to museums and the library and bookstores were some of our favorite memories together.

Fast forward to  2005, June, the kids are on their own and my husband and I are heading south to Nevada.  With just a little encouragement, I took a few art classes at the local community college.  My water color class was my first formal instruction on the art of water color. I enjoyed the medium but was really excited about the oil painting class. This class was my first formal oil painting instruction.  So, I was ready to see if I could still enjoy the creative process as a part of my life.