A little while back I sat down and made some sad textures because I was feeling . . . well . . . sad.
I thought it would be nice to stay sad, to feel my way into it and do some miserable painting but inevitably splashing swoosh paint around was pretty lifting.
I enjoy the outcomes, I think they'll work great in some images of fungi I'm making.
In no particular order.
Artworks going into frames, a trip to Barcelona, a birthday cake, an angry cat in a sling, dead daffodils and pen squiggles.
I was genuinely upset today to read this article about how my favourite shape of jean is not cool.
Ankle exposing, slightly tapered jeans are my life blood, they soothe my poor traumatised inner teen - who did her best teening through the all that naughties body image bullshit.
You couldn't buy non-stretch jeans for a long time. I cried in the Levis store
They evoke all the best retro for me - I feel kind of like a land girl or Baby from Dirty Dancing or an old woman who is riding a bike with a big basket to the market in a French coastal town.
And I shall continue to wear them until I am very old.
So help me god.
To hell with the fashion police.
Next they'll be telling me my Dali mask is not cool and seductive.
About five years ago The New Craftsmen asked me to make some videos about my work for their social media.
I made this. And a small series of these type of videos.
I still think it's great.
They asked me to make something more befitting of a high end gallery.
I love my Better Out Than In collage, it reminds me of my darling grandmama. She was an artist with a filthy sense of humour and a subversive outlook - she lived a bohemian and wild existence in a clapboard house just outside Hemel Hempstead.
She channeled a lot of rage and life happenings into her art and when they came out crooked and angry looking she'd say -
better out than in.
And I just love that.
I take the message as an encouragement to express myself, not to hold things in. Some people might be good at holding things in - but for me I need to share, to express myself.
Feelings and farts.
After I made this very important, heartfelt artwork that speaks to my ancestry and personal heritage someone told me that it would be 'great hung in the downstairs loo' . . .
And I couldn't help but agree! I thought more people should be able to have this message on their wall so I made a very reasonably priced poster, it's in the shop, you should buy it.
It's got to be the most best downstairs loo artwork available on the market today, I very much approve of this angle and I think so too would my dear grandmama.
Jo Waterhouse is a celebrated collage artist known internationally for her playful and anarchic style. About→