Jo Ewing

BOTANICAL * NATURAL HISTORY * MARINE

Jo was born in the remote East Coast town of Tokomaru Bay in 1948 where she spent her first five years, after which her parents ran a fishing lodge at Taupo. They had a great love and knowledge of native flora and fauna which was imparted to Jo at an early age. Another interest that was encouraged was art and all things creative.

After leaving school, Jo attended the Design School in Wellington. The first year was spent learning the skills of graphic design and the next three studying Industrial Design which all proved invaluable training for a future artistic career.

First came fifteen years working in landscape design with an Auckland architect, interspersed with travel. During a trip to England in 1987, a short course in Botanical Art set the direction for the next 34 years. Jo feels there is still a place for this long and honoured tradition to portray flora with beauty and honesty.

“My aim as an artist is to serve both science and art; to ensure botanical accuracy while also capturing the essence, the ‘spirit’ of the plant on the page in a pleasing composition. Through this gift, I wish to help foster an appreciation of the endless ephemeral beauty and minutiae of the natural world.”

From 2018, Jo began including insects and in this she was encouraged by entomologist Brian Patrick. A series of New Zealand flora and related insect paintings followed, with invaluable help also from botanist Peter Heenan.

2022 saw the emergence of yet another passion, old boats! There was a stirring of salt in the blood, perhaps inherited from Jo’s great grandfather who captained immigrant ships to Port Nicholson. When gifted a number of old maritime charts, Jo began to look for images of old and historical boats and yachts to paint on these, culminating in the most beautiful and fascinating five masted barque, ‘Pamir’.

What next? - more things of the sea, then back to NZ natural history.