Biography
Jo, better known by her artist name “Strangford”, can be found every evening printmaking from her home studio on the Ards Penninsula, next to Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. Though her influences are varied, the output is bold and colourful; often combining nature with an element of humour. If not designing/printing, she can be found playing the drums to a very mediocre standard.
Jo has no formal artistic training and arrived at printmaking through activism, climate protest and the idea of people “gathering” for a cause. In this workshop we will look at how printmaking can be used to make printed fabric patches using inexpensive tools and materials you can find around the house.
Due to the pandemic Jo hasn’t been able to see her family for over two years (and counting!) and so has found printmaking to be a vital distraction and welcome escape from the stresses of day to day life. Festivals like the NI Mental Health Arts Festival can help to highlight the role that arts and creativity can play in supporting and improving mental health.”