ARTIST BIO

Jo Taylor - Visual Artist

Jo is an award-winning artist who loves to draw, paint and create. She takes her inspiration from the sights around her and can be equally happy using watercolour, acrylic, oil or pastel as well as a variety of other drawing/printing mediums. Jo is passionate about continual growth as an artist and seeks workshops and classes to enrich her skills. She works out of her Melbourne, Bayside studio and participates in a number of art groups and societies, including VAS, AGRA and WSV. Subject matter is diverse. Jo can be equally entranced by the play of light on the landscape as well as the gestures and poses of figurative work. She has received a number of awards/commendations, the most recent being Best Portrait as well as achieving the Grow West Acquisitive award at the Bacchus Marsh Art Exhibition. Her work can be seen on Gallery 247, Instagram (jotaylorartist), Facebook (Jo Taylor Art) and Bluethumb.com

Awards and Commendations

2025:                   Bacchus Marsh Art Exhibition - Grow West Acquisitive Award (NGV Imogen Mallia-Valjan & Anna Honan)

2025:                   Best Portrait - Australian Kelpie Muster Art Show 2025 (Brett Jarrett)

2025:                   Best Watercolour - Glen Eira Cheltenham Art Group Annual Exhibition (Vivi Palegeorge)

2025:                   Highly Commended - VAS Summer Exhibition 2025 (Fiona Bilbrough)

2024:                   Honourable Mention and Highly Commended - AGRA 50th Anniversary Exhibition (Judge: Colin Johnson)

2024:                   Commended – Mentone Mordialloc Art Group Members Exhibition (Judge: Peter Smales)

2024:                   Guest Artist ‘Australian Kelpie Muster Art Show 2024’

2024:                   WSV “Luminous” Exhibition entrant.

2023:                   Winner “Isabella De Soyres” Award – Beaumaris Art Group Annual Exhibition (Judge: Clive Sinclair)

2023/24:             Bayside Local Exhibition: Three works selected

2023:                   Highly Commended – VAS student exhibition (Judge: Mark Bagally)

2023:                   Commended – Hamilton North Rotary Art Show (Judge: Joshua White)

2023:                   Winner – Best Hobsons Bay Scene – Hobsons Bay Rotary Club Art Show – (Judge: Ted Dansey)

2022:                   Winner – Portrait section – Casterton Rotary Club Art show – (Oil) Judge: Brett Jarrett

                             Highly Commended – Casterton Rotary Club Art show – Kelpie section (Oil)

                             Highly Commended – Casterton Rotary Club Art show – Kelpie section (Oil)

2022/23:             Bayside Local Exhibition: Two works selected

2021:                   Highly Commended– Sorrento Rotary Art Show (Judge: Ivan Durrant)

2020:                   Finalist – SBS Portrait Prize

2019:                   Finalist – SBS Portrait Prize

              Winner - Landscape section - Casterton Rotary Club Art Show (Acrylic)

                             People’s Choice Award – Kelpie Section - Casterton Rotary Club Art Show (Oil)

2018:                   Ethel Brigdford Award - MMAG Autumn Members exhibition (Oil)

Highly Commended - Portland Rotary Club Art Show (Oil)

Highly Commended - Casterton Rotary Club Art Show (Watercolour)

2016:                   Very Highly Commended - Mentone Mordialloc Art Group Autumn Members exhibition (Watercolour/pastel)

Winner “Local Inspiration” exhibition, Artists of the Valley/Gorman’s Gallery (Acrylic)

2015:                   Highly Commended - Clarice Beckett Art Award, Artists of the Valley (Acrylic)

Packing room prize - Casterton Kelpie Acquisitive Art Show (Acrylic)

2014:                   Best Acrylic in Show - Clarice Beckett Art Award, Artists of the Valley

Best Acrylic in Show - Mentone Mordialloc Art Group

Exhibitions

2019:                   “Nature Re-imaged” A joint show with photographer, Meredith Graham, at Joan Macrae Members’ Gallery, Beaumaris Art Group.

2016:                   “From Bush to Bay” joint Exhibition with artists John and Marg Quinn at Shirley Burke Theatre (G3 gallery space), Parkers Road, Parkdale.

I receive regular commissions as well as exhibiting and selling my work at a wide variety of Art shows.