Jo Ansell
Mediums Used
My artistic journey began with a degree in Fine Arts and a postgraduate degree in Art and Design, with a particular fascination for the human form and its underlying structure. I loved large scale life drawings and was also drawn to welding the human form, a technique which also satiated my love of doing anything physical!
I went on to greatly value my time as a secondary school art teacher, however my thirst for adventure and my love of multi sports led me on a different path for over a decade. During this time I travelled extensively, worked as a professional sports team trainer in New Zealand and the US , ran my own fitness and pilates studio in Auckland and worked in a private drug and rehabilitation sanctuary in Byron Bay.
It was only after experiencing physical burnout in 2003 that I returned to my art.
I had already started to explore the interconnectivity of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being through my yoga and pilates practice as well as working closely with so many wonderful clients over the years and realising the importance of a holistic approach to health and fitness. Healing myself however was the biggest awakening and it is a journey that continues to this day.
My quest for Nirvana is now my new goal and my art spoke before I consciously knew what my true self needed and what my essence really about . My art has undoubtedly been the biggest part of my healing, as it was through my work that my inner voice could freely speak.
My objective with every sculpture I design and carve is to create something beautiful, something that flows with its curves and lines – a creation that when the viewer observes it there is an internal as well an external shift in them taking them into a harmonious way of being. When I sculpt I am fully immersed in this natural state of being, even if at a challenging time during the creation I may step out as my head questions my actions!
I am a self taught stone carver, although I have picked up tips from some amazing stone masons & sculptors along the way! I do not work from a maquette, it is full trust in the flow of the creation. We can never compete with Mother Nature, but for me discovering a little mystery within each piece of stone I acquire both excites and motivates me.
A client once described my work as the New Art Deco, a contemporary style which exudes serenity with its curves and sensuality, yet for me there have been no definable influences on my style, only my own growth and awareness. I love keeping my style unique by only using my own designs to work from or by intuitively free carving, it is only this way that I can speak my truth through my work. This is not to say my style has not developed over the years – it is a wonderful and sometimes surprising journey!
Every sculpture is unique, designed and hand carved by myself, so every client can be sure they own a bespoke piece of artwork.
Sculptures by Jo Ansell
