Jo Ford
My paintings begin with observations I make while traveling around the Pacific Northwest: old mining towns, working farms, delta cities, rural communities and fog covered beach towns. I have discovered that all these places carry a visible patina of history, but a history that seems to be regressing. These environments, after being touched by human hands, now have the appearance of wilderness re-encroaching upon them, of having humanity’s footprint once again removed. When I paint my impressions of these places, the loneliness of them beckons me to invite other entities to dwell within them. Sometimes the characters just seem to dance into the painting from some parallel universe; other times, they are vague figures emerging from childhood memories. Wherever they come from, I do my best to make them feel wanted. In the end my paintings act as doorways to places where abandoned objects and lost souls can finally feel comfortable, a place they can call home.
For more information about the artist, please visit her website.