Local artist and therapist Jo Smith is celebrating ten years since opening her renowned Seagrass Studio Gallery.
The popular gallery and workshop is based in Acacia Grove, in West Kirby, but originally started out life in Hoylake, where Jo is originally from.
Jo is well known for her stunning paintings of the Wirral coastline, into which she incorporates local materials such as sand from West Kirby beach.
She said: “One of my most memorable commissions in recent years was a family who were moving out of the area and wanted a painting of the view of the beach from their garden.
“Every evening, they would light a fire in a chimnea in their garden and look out onto the beach, so I suggested we incorporate the ashes from the fire into the painting. It was part of their memories of their time living here and was a wonderful thing to do.”
As well as commissions for paintings, Jo also sells the wares of many other local artists from the studio, which she runs alongside her husband Dave, who quit his job in banking a few years ago to join the family business.
She added: “It’s always been really important to me to support local artists, as we have so many wonderfully creative people living and working right on our doorstep.
“Artists are definitely drawn to this area because of the beautiful surroundings and also the incredible light. I’ve heard a lot of people refer to this area as “the St Ives of the North” because there are so many top artists working here.
“The art scene is definitely thriving and we are happy to do our bit to promote it.”
As well as her artwork, Jo is also a qualified therapist and counsellor and runs sessions from the studio. She specialises in bereavement counselling, which is close to her heart after losing her own mother at a young age.
She also offers small, friendly art classes at the gallery, which are so popular there is a waiting list to sign up.
To celebrate the ten year anniversary, Seagrass are offering 20% off all Jo Smith original artwork and jewellery throughout January and February. Customers will also be entered into a draw to win a £100 voucher.
For more information, visit http://www.seagrassstudio.co.uk
COMPETITION
We’ve teamed up with Seagrass Studio Gallery to offer you the chance to win these two stunning, A3, Jo Smith prints featuring West Kirby Marine Lake and the Liverpool skyline.
To be in with a chance of winning, follow the steps below:
- Like the Seagrass Facebook page here – https://www.facebook.com/joseagrass/
- Email us at westkirby@hyperlocaltoday.co.uk (or send us a message on our Facebook page!) answering the following question – what materials does Jo use in her paintings (as well as paint!)
The competition closes on February 14th at 0001 and a winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers.