Jo York

Jo York is a contemporary artist based in North Yorkshire. Growing up as the daughter of a professional artist, creativity has been an integral part of her life. Jo’s artwork is deeply influenced by the Yorkshire landscape.

A passionate walker, Jo York draws inspiration from the vast, untamed landscapes she explores. Her work, though abstract to varying degrees, is always rooted in a strong sense of place and moment. While out in nature, she absorbs the atmosphere, weather, and shifting light, capturing these experiences through quick sketches, photographs, and vivid mental impressions. These elements help her infuse her paintings with a true sense of their origin.

Back in her studio, Jo York begins with small-scale works in her sketchbook—intuitive, expressive pieces that serve as the foundation for her larger paintings. This process allows her to experiment freely with colour, form, and composition, refining her ideas before translating them onto a bigger canvas.

“Ideas tend to come when I’m out walking; all the time, I’m noticing shapes and contrasts, atmosphere, layers and textures. Then back in the studio, I’ll start to play around with colour palettes, thumbnail sketches, notes, studies etc…until something grabs me that is worth developing”

Jo York’s paintings are made slowly, building up multiple layers of opaque and translucent paint, before then scraping back and sometimes incising details, adding a beautiful depth and complexity to her work.

Jo York has exhibited widely across the UK and her work is featured in many private and corporate collections worldwide.