Jo, who works from the studio she shares with her husband, sign writer Pete Witney, at The Paddock on Silver Street, has taken recycling to a new level by creating unique works of art from found pottery, glass and driftwood.
Each piece Jo creates comes with its own tale, and Jo can relate the story of each find she has made, including any research she has done into the piece, where it was found, and how she felt when she first saw it.
“I let the pieces dictate the artwork, I don’t make them fit,” said Jo, whose most recent commissions have included the stunning mosaic installation at the paddling pool on Whitby’s West Cliff.
The creations are an intense labour of love, each taking hours to compile.
Jo has always had a passion for her craft, she is excited by new media and ways of working, embracing and learning new techniques as her interests progress.
Having studied at London College of Fashion, Jo went on to become a hand colourist at an art studio, before moving to Whitby where she worked with the National Trust for two decades.
Her interest in mudlarking, the act of searching riverbeds and foreshores, particularly in tidal areas, for historical artefacts, began after reading a book by Lara Maiklem about mudlarking on the River Thames.
Jo said: “I found the book fascinating, and then I thought, ‘We have a tidal river here, I wonder if there are pieces here too?
"There is a joy of just being outside and beachcombing. I love to find ‘treasures’, things that somebody once played with or smashed. The pieces all have their own story and I love that.”
Each item Jo finds becomes a part of a unique work of art, the like of which would be virtually impossible to replicate, giving a new purpose to items that ceased to have a useful life many years before.
Jo’s exhibition, in which all pieces are for sale, will be held at John Broadwood’s Music Store on John Street, Whitby throughout July.
The shop is open from 10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday and 1-4pm on Saturday.
4. Jo Witney artist/mudlark
Jo said she loves that different people see different images in her creations Photo: Jo Witney artist/mudlark