Jo grew up in Bury St Edmunds and studied visual art & Spanish at Aberystwyth University before moving to Spain.

Whilst living in Madrid, as part of her degree, she took anatomy, life drawing and painting courses at Universidad de Bellas Artes and subsequently joined the studio of artist and restorer, Paco Pinuela.

On completion of her BA joint honours degree in 1987, Jo returned to Spain and settled in Madrid where she continues working from Paco’s studio in Calle Atocha. She also taught English and later worked in the Madrid office of S.G. Warburg.

In 1994 Jo returned to the UK where she worked in the Exhibitions Department of the Royal Academy of Arts for Norman Rosenthal. She continued attending life drawing classes at Camden Arts Centre

In 1996 Jo retuned to Suffolk where she lives and works from her studio in Honey Tye. She began a framing business in 2012 but continues drawing and exhibiting locally.