Jo Fernandez with her new body of work Silver Linings.

Studio Visit and Interview with Landscape Artist Jo Fernandez

Words by Madeline Young and Jo Fernandez, Photographs by Madeline Young.

I recently had a chat with talented landscape artist Jo Fernandez about her creative process, inspiration, and love of the natural world in preparation for her new solo exhibition Silver Linings. Jo’s work captures the beauty and mood of the landscape, from wide open skies to textured terrain. Her paintings invite viewers to connect with nature in a thoughtful and heartfelt way. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply curious about the life of an artist, this interview offers a warm and honest look behind the scenes of her practice.

Silver Linings opens this week at The Corner Store Gallery from March 26th until April 5th. The full collection is now available to shop online or preview the PDF catalogue here.

You had your first solo show with us in 2022 Mostly Cloudy, and have exhibited as part of many group shows and our stable since. How has your practice evolved since then and what can we expect from this new work?

Though still representational, my practice is more expressive - revealing more of myself and how I feel. Along with observation I'm prepared to use imagination, pushing colour and line. I'd say my work is more intuitive.

In this new body of work titled Silver Linings, the cloudscapes not only represent the fleeting nature of life, they're also a metaphor for optimism. No matter how difficult things may appear, there's a positive side to most situations - if you choose to find it. In some of the paintings I have introduced the motif of bare trees. Their stark silhouette offers a profound sense of stillness and peace.

In Silver Linings I rejoice in the restorative powers of nature and its impact on our wellbeing. The works evoke calm and nostalgia, as I invite the viewer to pause, reflect and find solace in the beauty that surrounds us.

New paintings y Jo Fernandez in her studio.

How do you approach the creative process from concept to completion?

Concept development, the story I want to convey, is the most important step in the process for me. It's crucial for a clear vision, or roadmap, to a cohesive body of work.

I go through my archive of photos and select those that support my ideas for a concept. From these I do a number of thumbnail sketches and compositional studies, often incorporating elements from more than one photo. I aim to simplify and mass shapes into a visual order that appeals to me, eliminating non-essential details, while emphasising others. At this stage I jot down a colour plan for the compositions I want to proceed with.

The painting process begins with a lightly drawn outline of the composition onto a pre-toned canvas. I mix my oil colours, usually starting with the colour of the sky - all the subtle gradations from high in the sky to low at the horizon. In mixing the colours for the clouds and other elements in the painting, I introduce some of the sky colours, aiming for a harmonious colour palette.

I work over the canvas feathering and blending colours, or adding texture with a palette knife where necessary. When dry, I glaze some areas using thin layers of transparent paint to provide a luminous quality.

Jo makes pencil sketches and notes before embarking on the final piece.

Who or what are your biggest influences?

Where I live is a major influence. Surrounded by picturesque views of rolling hills and the expanses of land and sky, the Central Tablelands provides no shortage of inspiration and subject matter. From our home on an elevated property in Millthorpe I have an uninterrupted view of Mt Canobolas to the west. Its distinctive silhouette features in many of my paintings, along with remarkable, ever-changing cloud formations.

Listening to music in my studio can sometimes present ideas. Bryan Ferry's version of the song 'As Time Goes By' gave me the titles for 4 paintings in this series: You Must Remember This; A Kiss Is Still A Kiss; A Sigh Is Just A Sigh, and As Time Goes By.

Cezanne, arguably the most influential figure of 20th century Western art, is an artist I admire. He brought new levels of comprehension to the dynamics of composition, imposing order on reality. "A kind of solitude permeates his paintings, but never to the detriment of sensation: that is his hallmark." (Edmund Capon, I Blame Duchamp, 2009)

New work from *Silver Linings* hanging in Jo’s studio.

How do you handle creative blocks?

I have a sign outside my studio with a quote by Picasso: "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." Sometimes it's as simple as tidying up the studio, getting rid of clutter and making it a space I want to be in.

As a self-taught artist, I have many art books that I revisit often. At times, something may resonate that previously hasn't. I also like to attend workshops, usually one a year. Usually the workshop involves a medium other than oil paint and subject matter outside my usual practice. This reinforces that it's not what you paint and with what materials, but the essential aesthetic principles of shape, value, colour, and composition.

What advice would you give to emerging artists?

Be persistent and be patient. Don't be discouraged by rejection. Seek feedback and criticism, and take it onboard.

Ultimately, create work that is meaningful to you.