Joanna's father was an artist and she has been painting and drawing all her life, though she has done a number of courses over the years. Her working practice is to go out into the countryside and take many panoramic photos of a selected subject, from which she will work up her paintings in comfort back in the studio. Working in acrylics because she loves their versatility, Joanna almost always paints on canvas. "I will begin with a loose wash and then build up more and more layers, continually reassessing and allowing the paint to suggest and dictate where that will enhance the image," she says. "What inspires me is the natural landscape, whether field or forest, cliffs or canal, it is mood and atmosphere that I wish to reflect. Sunlight through foliage, clouds, reflections or movement of water, effects of season and weather." Joanna spent many years living on the north Cornish coast and still returns there for inspiration. Her work is exhibited in galleries throughout the south west.