Profile of Jo Wooltorton
Jo was brought up on a farm near Launceston, in Cornwall. After her father died her mother worked on farms where she milked a hundred of cows twice a day. Jo's early memories are of making mud pies in the farm yard, surrounded by cows. Her mother had been to art school in Exeter before the war but it wasn't until much later that she was able to return to her studies and achieved an A grade at A level in art. Jo feels that her mother's achievements have been her main source of inspiration. 'My mum also did pottery - she went off to courses and came back with what I remember as huge coiled pots'.
It wasn't until Jo did an art foundation course in Bideford that she handled clay again. The course covered the basics in print-making, stained glass, etching and clay work. 'I liked working with the clay but I was left to get on with it. The tutor did teach me the basics of throwing so I could make small pots but after only half a term I did my O-level. I had to make a coffee set with a lid, spout and a handle. Needless to say, I failed.' The pottery tutor was not at all encouraging and told Jo that she was wasting her time! She remembers only a couple of pieces of work which came through the system successfully - a coiled pot in the shape of an onion with cut out shapes, and a mug.
Jo attended college in Taunton to do a three year course on illustration and gained an L.S.I.A. qualification. 'I came up to London to become a famous artist! I slept on the floor of a friend's flat and did all the things that young artists do. I went round to loads of agents but I only got a little work so eventually money ran out. So I returned to Taunton and got a job in the Children's Autistic Unit there. I then did a year of art therapy and I did do a bit of work with clay then but not much. I did all kinds of work to earn enough money to live including a bit of free-lance illustration work.' Several of the illustrations were published and Jo still has these samples treasured away.
In the late 70s Jo moved to Kent but she was kicked in the leg by a horse and ended up in Tonbridge hospital for seven weeks. 'After that I didn't return home but got a job in London doing graphics for a few years. I took up pottery classes in Chipstead Craft Studios in the mid-80s but baby-minding was expensive and when I heard that there was a free crèche at Tonbridge Adult Centre I enrolled into pottery classes there. I completed City & Guilds part 1 and at the same time I applied for a job at Dorton College. I had to do a Certificate in Education for this but I'm not good at written work! And it was awful. I had two years of absolute hell writing essays!' At Dorton House Jo teaches, packs and fires the kiln but has learnt most from her visually impaired students who 'take life as it comes and they just get on with things and complain very little. It's been a good experience.'
Currently, Jo makes tall figures and tall jugs and her work is generally decorative. Probably because of her background, many of her pieces are animals. She makes cows, chickens, and, very occasionally, sheep. Texture, patterns with colour and an empathy for green may also be linked with her early life. Jo rejoined the KPA a couple of years ago. She works full time and it's difficult to find enough time to go to exhibitions and museums but the KPA Master Days give her the opportunity to keep up to date with contemporary potters' work.
Most work is sold through Craft Fairs and Farmer's Markets and South East Open Studios and which she plans to do again this June. While studying for Part 2 City and Guilds, Jo is selling less and concentrating more on the course. Part 2 has improved her self-confidence. She take pleasure from practical work and enjoys being in a group and seeing what other people make who use the same materials and follow the same basic guidelines. The course has made her more thoughtful about her own ceramics and the routine has been a benefit to her.
Life often goes in circles and about three years ago Jo returned to Chipstead Craft Studios but this time as a tutor. 'Working at Chipstead has taught me a lot - the opportunity came, I took it and now my confidence has increased with the knowledge I've gained from my students'.
