Hello, I’m Jo Shearer, an artist and art educator based in Leicestershire. My practice explores the emotional and sensory relationships we form with people, places, and objects, considering how memory, experience, and presence become embedded within landscapes, environments, and everyday things.

Through close observation of the natural world, I am drawn to traces and transitions—weathered surfaces, shifting light, overlooked textures, and the quiet rhythms of growth and decay. My work reflects an interest in how time and human interaction subtly inscribe themselves onto places and objects, creating layers of meaning and belonging.

My linocuts and collagraphs explore my Irish heritage and my connection to the landscape of my grandparents’ homeland. Inspired by memories of returning there over the years, the carved lines and textures become a reflection of experiences etched into memory.

In contrast, my monoprints are process-led, built through layers of texture and mark-making until an image gradually emerges. My Discarded series is a collection of paper weavings created from imperfect prints that fall outside the conventions of a print edition. Rather than being set aside, these prints are cut into strips and reimagined, revealing a different kind of beauty. Their smudges, irregularities, and inconsistencies bring energy and character to the work, while the combination of two separate prints creates something stronger than either could achieve alone.

The Discarded series celebrates imperfection, transformation, and the freedom to become something unexpected.

Teaching is an integral part of my practice. I see art as a process of connection and believe it should be accessible to everyone—a means of communicating experiences, sharing stories, and bringing people together through the act of making.