Artist
Jo Dumpleton
Hertfordshire based Jo Dumpleton studied illustration at Camberwell College of Arts, London. Having experimented with various drawing styles, she became absorbed by intricate small scale pencil drawings. More recently however, Jo has begun working at a larger scale using pan pastel.
Her works are delicately intimate. She takes inspiration from 18th century miniatures, historical fashion and the black and white musical sequences of Busby Berkeley. Focusing on portraiture, she uses antique photographs as source material. She is fascinated by the mysterious intimacy of the people in old photographs. Her work zooms in on elements such as hands, clothing details or eyes and moustaches, giving her drawings a humorous and contemporary feel.
Jo's Style
Going to antique shops and fairs, Jo is immediately drawn to the boxes of discarded family photos and studio portraits. She is intrigued by the mystery of the unknown people in the photos. Her process is slow and painstakingly detailed but this allows her to consider the people she is depicting and wonder what sort of life they led.
The composition is always carefully considered in advance, she then uses pencil and graphite, which allow her a huge amount of control especially on the smaller scale works. For her recent works she has also started to use pan pastel, which creates a more painterly effect, blurring the shadow and light using a sponge to create a depiction of fabric that makes you want to reach out and touch it.
“"I find it quite heartbreaking that these people and memories that were once so special to someone are now lost and being sold to complete strangers. Drawing these subjects, not only allows me to indulge my interest in fashions and styles of the past, but it also allows me time to think about who this person may have been and what kind of life they had. I hope that the viewer has a similar experience, perhaps coming up with their own story for each piece.” — Jo Dumpleton
AVAILABLE ARTWORKS
Shop by Collection
May Drop 2024
"Creating this collection of watercolours has felt like a turning point for me art wise. Previously working purely with drawing materials, I was looking for a medium where I was able to create the loose marks of dry pastel while still being able to focus on the smaller details as I would with pencil. This series focuses on the details I enjoy while looking at European paintings from the 1700s and 1800s." - Jo Dumpleton, A Collection of Watercolours
March Drop 2023
"An initial circular drawing began a collection of different shaped artworks inspired by the silhouettes of Georgian miniatures. The collection includes a roughly cut out heart that looks as though it is ready to be put in an antique locket, a scalloped oval, as if it is set in a frame of pearls and a pair of teardrop shaped lovers eyes." - Jo Dumpleton, Lockets and Lovers Eyes
Dames
"This collection began with two intricate pencil drawings of the dresses of unknown women. Inspired heavily by the fashion and style of the subjects in found photos, it’s a celebration of the elaborate up-dos, the larger than life collars and puff-sleeves." - Jo Dumpleton
