Jo Moncrief
Jo Moncrief is continually turning the natural world around her into abstract compositions. On walks near her house, she follows the patterns of shadows on the ground, the sun’s reflection on buildings & surroundings. She studies the intricate cracks and shading on the sidewalk and uses these patterns for many of her abstract designs. She studies the texture and pattern of people’s faces and figures turning them into abstracted images. Many of Jo’s paintings have a touch of humor or thoughtful message implied in the painting.
Jo began her artistic career as a ceramic artist. Gradually her ceramic artwork became less functional and more like paintings on clay. Her acrylic paintings reflect her clay background with lots of texture and the love of glazes and color.
Jo paints or draws each day. Before she begins a painting, she prepares the canvas with texture. She then spatters, throws, lifts and/or moves paint around in a random manner to create an under painting. This under painting allows her to be more creative.
Jo’s artwork can be found in galleries and many of the top juried art festivals in the U.S. Her artwork has been featured in articles in the Dallas Morning News, Ft.Worth Star Telegram, Van Zandt County Line, et al.
In 2016, two of Jo's paintings, Turbulence & Tranquility and Searching for What was, (in Home & Gallery images) have been accepted into North Light Books’ fourth annual Best of Acrylic competitionAcrylicWorks 4: Captivating Color! The book will be published in spring 2017. The artwork accepted in the book will show excellence and originality in acrylic paint achieved via a variety of styles and subjects.