Jo Dixon
My approach is led by my enthusiasm for the subject and my own practice as an artist. I work flexibly with individuals to encourage them to explore the media and investigate the techniques that I offer so that they can discover their own ways to express their ideas.
What will students gain if they come on one of your courses?I hope that students of all abilities will be inspired and find my course liberating in its experimental approach. With an open mind to explore the possibilities, ideas can be developed and students can gain confidence in their own work.
Are there any particular techniques/processes you use in your teaching?The nature of my own work and the courses that I offer are Mixed Media, which as the name suggests use a variety of materials and surfaces to work on in combination. Mostly I use painting techniques, printmaking methods, collage and relief effects, whilst working on papers, fabrics and wood.
What inspires your own work?Travel and the experiences of different cultures have been fundamental to my work and I work from a mixture of memory and observed elements collaged together. I often work around a theme and I recently produced a series of work inspired by allotments and the theme of ‘Growth’.
Where can students see examples of your work?Studio Fusion Gallery website, Who’s Who in Gold and Silver website.
Where did you gain your training? Experience?
I trained in TEXTILE Design /Print at WinchesterSchool of Art ;BA Hons Degree. Since then I have studied printmaking and painting on short courses, and gained experience through my own explorations. I also completed a Foundation in Art Therapy at BathSpaUniversity.
Teaching experience:I have had fifteen years experience of being an Artist in Residence in schools and colleges and have worked with all ages and abilities including those with Special Needs. I have run workshops and summer schools for children and adults and facilitated many Community based projects and commissions. In 2008 I graduated with a PGCE in Secondary Art and Design and now work part time at Rye StAntonySchool in Oxford.
Is your work in any public or private collections?Most of my work is in private collections but I have a commissioned triptych in The Oxfordshire County Museums Collection.