Jo Vollers was born in Melbourne in 1955. She grew up in an artistic and musical family. Her father was an accomplished watercolorist who exhibited widely. She starting painting after bringing up her family in Devon. She studied drawing and composition at The Heatherly Art School, Chelsea and over the past few years her artistic development has been guided by Robin Child and Saliann Putman. The study of painters of the 20th century are critical. Great inspiration comes from the work of painters such as Ivon Hitchins, Peter Lanyon and Joan Eardley. These influences have inspired fluidity and freedom in Jo’s work, using lots of large brushes and palette knives.
The excitement of mixing the palette and creating the colours with their varied tones isalways the starting point. Subject matter is less important to her than the abstract qualities of the painting . It is the emotional response that is all important. She loves to paint the Devon landscape around her and flowers as they appear through the seasons from her garden. Her work is semi-abstract and abstract allowing her imagination to create the image by finding and exploring rather than any pre-conceived ideas taking over. She has exhibited widely including the South West Academy, Chelsea Art Society and Llewellyn Alexander gallery in London. She takes part in Devon Open Studios every year.