Jo began painting as part of art therapy in rehab following a series of CVST’s (a very rare form of strokes) at 34, to help regain some use of her affected arm.  She blogs her art along with her stroke recovery very honestly under Stroke of a Brush, she sells her artwork to help raise awareness and the funds made are donated directly to an annual awareness event Jo set up called CHANCES.  CHANCES has a support group set up by Jo purely for younger and working age survivors and, Jo aims to be directly supporting younger and working age survivors more, in various ways by rehab support, including packs for survivors to try therapies like art and craft therapy and more that not only have a physical benefit but great benefits from a wellbeing perspective.  Jo has now been painting since September 2017, is self-taught and began exhibiting her work in 2019 as part of Bicester Artweeks.  Jo now has establishments in Oxfordshire who request to display her work to help raise awareness and fundraise for CHANCES.

Jo paints mainly in acrylics but also watercolours and oils and produces seascapes, landscapes, skies, pet portraits and abstract works.  Jo selects her colour pallets depending on her mood and paints how she feels and memories come back from before her strokes and she paints from the pictures in her head.