16 December 2010

A Conversation with Jo Pearson

Retro, re-purposed, recycled and passionate is how I would describe Jo and her handmade craft. One of the driving forces behind the successful Hawkes Bay Craft Jam she lives and breathes art and craft. Mind you, I am sure she may be breathing in rest and relaxation after the amazing job she and business partner Jess did birthing this new event into the Hawkes Bay. Jo says she has the best of all worlds, because she teaches art at the local high school and gets to create handmade pieces in the spaces between. I enjoyed meeting with a woman whose love for what she does transfuses each handmade piece. Her appropriation of retro/old iconic New Zealand themes and their transformation into modern day heirlooms are pieces worth collecting. Lets meet Jo ...  Carol 

Who is {your name}?
Jo "Phylis Perfect" Pearson


What’s your “handmade groove ?”
Re-purposed treasures and layers of texture and colour, media neutral - could be objects, paper, fabric or whatever

  

What’s on your bedside table right now? (hey, no tidying up or  censoring)
Nurofen and a glass of water

Who are your creative role models? What music, books, images,  poetry spark your creative fire?
Nana Perfect  who pinned teatowels on the wall and smelled like ripe fruit. Nana Vera  Esmae who knitted my school jerseys, sewed my school uniforms and watched  the neighbours through the ventians.I choose most books by their cover, preferring not to judge them by what's on the inside.  Libraries confuse me. I like picture books.

What could you talk late into the night about with like minded people?
Devils on horse back


If you could go to three free workshops/creative events this year which ones would they be? What are they about?
I would like to relearn how to draft patterns.
Cake decorating would be fun
And something run by Rosemary McLeod


How do you balance your creative life with your family, life commitments?
Nurofen


What is your favourite creative screw-up?
Cooking is generally a creative screw up for me, which is ironic as, for a living, I teach children how to cook.




Kitchen table or studio?
Studio - you obviously haven't seen the size of my kitchen table. And thanks for asking as I've just turned my master bedroom into a studio and moved myself into the box room out the back - no heating, single light bulb, mattress on the floor, small barred window - you get the picture.

Do you have a wish list? Can you tell us what’s on  it?
I wish Fruit Bowl Craft Jam is a huge success in the Opera House Plaza on 4 and 5 Dec.
And I wish my mother had named me something other than Jo-anne, but it's grown on me.
I wish my lawn would mow itself, it's also growing on me!
And I wish I had a nice big studio in town so I could move back into my bedroom!


You can find Jo at her blog

5 comments:

  1. Great getting to know you Jo, I also am a lover of picture books, the visual is important to us, creative types, cheers Marie

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  2. Ha! You're a treasure, Jo. Great job with the craft jam. Lovely getting to know you. :)

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  3. Great fun reading Jo - thank you! All the best for 2011.

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  4. A great read! - oh and i love those gorgeous cushions of yours! :)

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  5. Really great to read more about you... x

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