This weekend, we drove up to the Lake District to meet up with artist Jo McGrath.
We first encountered Jo when we saw her on the television. Countryfile, a popular BBC program did a profile of her. We were so taken with her drawings of the local Herdwick sheep, done with charcoal and pigments taken from old slate mines nearby that we bought one for ourselves. Today, it hangs in our garden room
She lives at Yew Tree Farm, Coniston, with her husband Jon Watson, where they farm their 800+ Herdwick sheep and 30 Belted Galloway Cows, as well as various other assorted animals.
She says “I’m a professional artist, specialising in animal paintings, much like Yew tree Farm’s former owner Beatrix Potter.”
We were so impressed with her Herdwick that we commissioned a 6’ long hare, also done in charcoal, and hanging in our home as well.
Along with doing her own artwork, Jo also gives art lessons. We were up in Coniston because we gave our friend Anne Davies a day’s art lessons with Jo at the farm.
We’ll be showing Jo’s work at the gallery this fall, as well as adding her work to our online catalogue. If you’d like to get in touch with her directly, she can be reached at penroo@me.com.