Jo Sinclair: Navigating the Soul's Journey
In the feature gallery:
Jo Sinclair
Navigating the Soul's Journey
On View: May 6-27, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 6, 4-7pm
Artists Talk: Friday, May 19, 11am
Jo Sinclair has ventured into uncharted waters with the graphic and richly layered mixed-media paintings that make up her newest body of work titled Navigating the Soul's Journey. Through this series, Jo explores the essence of life’s voyage, stating that, “the artworks in this exhibit represent where I have been, where I am now, and reveal to me new horizons to creatively experiment, explore, discover and innovate.”
Artist Statement
The theme for this exhibition, “Navigating the Soul’s Journey,” unfolded last fall when I decided to capture and express the essence of life’s voyage through the process of making art— from inspiration, through deep waters, dark nights and perfect storms, before finally ascending into spirit and healing waters. Although I originally planned to create beautiful ethereal seascapes in encaustic painting for this exhibition, my small, still voice inside became very loud, even overbearing-— screaming to me to take the risk and delve into deeper waters.
The story of my process and the tale of my travels during this creative time is layered beneath the mixed-media surface: chosen pages from Rollo May’s book, “Courage to Create”, excerpted passages of poetry, defined papers from an old dictionary, selected images and text from a book on masterpiece paintings, and significant handwritten pages culled from daily journaling. The metaphor of the boat as the soul, the incorporation of nautical symbols, the exploration of a primary palette, and the expression of fire and water further narrates the trials and tribulations of life’s experience.
I began this project with optimism but was somewhat unprepared for the major obstacles that were thrown into my creative ocean-— from personal and close friends’ physical, mental, and spiritual challenges, the impact of hurricane Matthew, world turmoil, and challenges working with a process outside of my comfort zone. Nonetheless, I persevered as captain of my ship and the artwork that I created serves as a reminder of where I have been, where I am now, and reveal to me new horizons to creatively experiment, explore, discover and innovate. I look forward to more journeys of the soul. - Jo Sinclair
About the Artist
Jo Sinclair has been a professional artist, arts educator, designer, and creative consultant for the past 39 years, graduating with a BFA and honors from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1978 and a Masters of Art Education in 2013 from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Sinclair has worked in a range of different media throughout her career, including sculptural weaving, sculptural paper, mixed-media jewelry, oil pastel, painting, collage, assemblage and encaustics. Her artwork has been included in numerous exhibitions at venues such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL; and others. Her work is also represented in many private and corporate collections, including International Paper Corporation, Memphis, TN; Indian Wells Country Club, Indian Wells, CA; and Walt Disney Corporation, Orlando, FL. She is a veteran exhibitor and award winner in the national art fair circuit. Sinclair also has extensive experience as an arts educator, having taught at numerous institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL; the Art Institute of Jacksonville, FL, and the Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach, where she continues to teach children’s art camps.