About
About Jo Cheer
Jo Cheer is an artist and printmaker based in the South Downs National Park, working between her home and a nearby studio. She specialises in reduction linocut and textile hand-block printing, with drawing from life and landscape forming the foundation of her practice.
Her work explores the structural patterns and textures found in plants, landforms, and natural ecosystems. Strong colours and carefully built layers are central to the process, allowing each print to develop gradually as the image is carved and handprinted in multiple layers.
Alongside printmaking, Jo works in pastels and frequently experiments with multimedia hand-finishing techniques that combine drawing and print. This ongoing exploration of materials and process continues to open new directions within her work.
CV →
Jo’s interest in drawing and painting began early. At eighteen she took the “pragmatic” route — choosing university over art school — and built a successful career in marketing and brand development. Although creative in its own way, the work gradually took her further away from creating her own art.
After leaving corporate life to travel, she returned to education to study commercial interior design and later worked as a freelance interior designer. However, it was through an introductory printing course at Red Hot Press in 2017, followed by a Foundation in Printmaking, she finally fully reconnected with her creative roots and love of originating her own artworks by hand.
Walking and mountain hiking have become a defining influence on her work. Time spent in landscapes ranging from the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas to remote stretches of the Appalachian Trail, the Coast to Coast Walk, and the chalk ridges of the South Downs Way continues to shape how she observes and reflects the natural world in her work.
A fascination with texture and structure — combined with a confident use of colour — underpins Jo’s work. Through print, drawing, and mixed processes, she explores through layered techniques the intricate details found in the landscapes and plants that inspire her.
Jo regularly exhibits at craft shows, fairs, and exhibitions, and her work has been selected for a number of open exhibitions across the UK.
