Joanne Kitson - About Joanne Kitson, Biography, Exhibitions and More

Biography

Joanne Kitson is a professional artist specialising in equestrian art and animal portraiture. Joanne’s passion for equine subjects goes back to her childhood where she spent as much time as she could at her local stables, riding and tending to the ponies. This teamed with a keen interest in art from a young age meant that horses quickly became her main inspiration. After receiving her first commission at the age of fifteen Joanne progressed to build a large body of work and through word of mouth began to sell her work in local art exhibitions as well as receiving more commissions to paint animal portraits.

Joanne is often credited for the amount of anatomical detail she includes in her work. This developed as a result of having access to her own horse from which she made various studies. “I finally got my own horse at the age of 17, a rescue case named Shadow, a beautiful bay Anglo Arab gelding. Shadow became my companion and muse over the next couple of years, and it was also during this time that I started to take the study of anatomy seriously, and would often spend hours sitting in Shadow’s field observing and sketching him and his field mates from life, analysing equine conformation, colour and movement”.

Although no longer a horse owner, Joanne is a keen rider to this day and finds her regular and close contact with horses is essential to her art. Joanne now maintains a practice based on observations from life and her own photographic source material. By making sketches from life she has developed an uncanny ability to capture the individual personality and characteristics of her subjects. This ability has thrilled clients and collectors alike and her work now hangs in private collections in the UK, USA and Canada. Joanne enjoys an enviable international reputation in her field of animal portraiture.

Joanne lives on the edge of the countryside in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She lives with her husband Richard Kitson, a notable figurative artist and musician; and their rescued house rabbit Dolly.
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Education

2002 - 2005

University of Sheffield

1999 - 2002

Barnsley College
Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events

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Previous events

Event: Summer Collection

Dates: 10 Jul 2015 - 16 Aug 2015

Venue: Obsidian Art Gallery, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks HP22 5XJ

A wonderful collection of art and designer craft inspired by the Britsh coastline, beaches and English summer meadows. With a wide range of mediums and styles by 50 selected British artists and makers. In a broad range of media with work loosely themed around the seaside and English meadow.

For more information visit http://www.obsidianart.co.uk/

Event: Holmfirth Artweek

Dates: 5 Jul 2015 - 11 Jul 2015

Venue: Holmfirth Civic Hall, Huddersfield Rd, Holmfirth HD9 3AS

I will be exhibiting two paintings in the main exhibition, and selling a selection of greetings cards in the art market section. All proceeds from the exhibition are donated to Macmillan Cancer Care.

For more information visit http://www.holmfirthartweek.org.uk/

Event: Natural Selection

Dates: 14 Oct 2014 - 2 Nov 2014

Venue: Thoresby Gallery, Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire NG22 9EP

Autumn exhibition by the Association of Animal Artists. Joanne will be exhibiting four framed originals, plus offering unframed sketches and greetings cards for sale.

Event: Association of Animal Artists Annual Exhibition 2014

Dates: 11 Apr 2014 - 19 May 2014

Venue: Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham

This exciting, dynamic & stimulating exhibition enlists the viewer in the emotion behind the art - an art which expresses the beauty, drama & fragility of the natural world around us. With outstanding examples of animal art from both award-winning professionals and talented amateur artists with an abiding passion for art and for animals of all kinds, visitors have the chance to purchase works, helping to raise funds for AAA conservation & animal welfare charity partners.

In aid of World Horse Welfare and Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation.

Free Entry.

Event: Dogs In Art

Dates: 18 Jan 2014 - 31 May 2014

Venue: Cooper Gallery, Barnsley

This exhibition looks at the diverse roles that dogs have in our lives as seen through the paintings in the Cooper Gallery permanent collection.

Unveiled for the first time in many years will be our Joseph Gott sculpture of Boy and whippet. It has been cleaned and conserved especially for this exhibition.

The exhibition also features a digital exhibition of local artists' work that depict canine subjects. Joanne's portrait of 'Ben' the terrier will feature in this digital exhibition.

Event: The Horse

Dates: 2 Sep 2013 - 12 Oct 2013

Venue: Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery, Doncaster DN1 2AE

To coincide with the St. Leger Festival. Doncaster art gallery will be displaying a selection of works from their permanent collection featuring the horse as a subject matter. To complement the collection and highlight contemporary practice of the horse as a subject matter, the gallery will also be showing eight pieces of work by Barnsley-based artist Joanne Kitson. Joanne's work will be a selection of detailed studies and sketches.

Event: The Horse In Art

Dates: 12 Jul 2013 - 11 Aug 2013

Venue: Obsidian Art, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks, HP22 5XJ

Annual exhibition celebrating the horse as a subject matter in art. The opening weekend will be held at, and in support of, The Home of Rest for Horses & a percentage of proceeds will be donated to The Horse Trust.

Event: Holmfirth Art Week Main Exhibition

Dates: 7 Jul 2013 - 13 Jul 2013

Venue: Holmfirth Art Week, Holmfirth, Huddersfireld

Joanne will be exhibiting in this year's Holmfirth artWEEK main exhibition at Holmfirth Civic Hall. She will be showing two pieces in the main exhibition, and selling a selection of unframed original sketches, prints and cards in the 'art market' section. All proceeds from the exhibition go to Macmillan.

Links

Like me on Facebook

Follow me on Instagram

Visit my website

Education

2002 - 2005

University of Sheffield

1999 - 2002

Barnsley College

There are no upcoming events

Show previous events Hide previous events

Previous events

Event: Summer Collection

Dates: 10 Jul 2015 - 16 Aug 2015

Venue: Obsidian Art Gallery, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks HP22 5XJ

A wonderful collection of art and designer craft inspired by the Britsh coastline, beaches and English summer meadows. With a wide range of mediums and styles by 50 selected British artists and makers. In a broad range of media with work loosely themed around the seaside and English meadow.

For more information visit http://www.obsidianart.co.uk/

Event: Holmfirth Artweek

Dates: 5 Jul 2015 - 11 Jul 2015

Venue: Holmfirth Civic Hall, Huddersfield Rd, Holmfirth HD9 3AS

I will be exhibiting two paintings in the main exhibition, and selling a selection of greetings cards in the art market section. All proceeds from the exhibition are donated to Macmillan Cancer Care.

For more information visit http://www.holmfirthartweek.org.uk/

Event: Natural Selection

Dates: 14 Oct 2014 - 2 Nov 2014

Venue: Thoresby Gallery, Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire NG22 9EP

Autumn exhibition by the Association of Animal Artists. Joanne will be exhibiting four framed originals, plus offering unframed sketches and greetings cards for sale.

Event: Association of Animal Artists Annual Exhibition 2014

Dates: 11 Apr 2014 - 19 May 2014

Venue: Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham

This exciting, dynamic & stimulating exhibition enlists the viewer in the emotion behind the art - an art which expresses the beauty, drama & fragility of the natural world around us. With outstanding examples of animal art from both award-winning professionals and talented amateur artists with an abiding passion for art and for animals of all kinds, visitors have the chance to purchase works, helping to raise funds for AAA conservation & animal welfare charity partners.

In aid of World Horse Welfare and Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation.

Free Entry.

Event: Dogs In Art

Dates: 18 Jan 2014 - 31 May 2014

Venue: Cooper Gallery, Barnsley

This exhibition looks at the diverse roles that dogs have in our lives as seen through the paintings in the Cooper Gallery permanent collection.

Unveiled for the first time in many years will be our Joseph Gott sculpture of Boy and whippet. It has been cleaned and conserved especially for this exhibition.

The exhibition also features a digital exhibition of local artists' work that depict canine subjects. Joanne's portrait of 'Ben' the terrier will feature in this digital exhibition.

Event: The Horse

Dates: 2 Sep 2013 - 12 Oct 2013

Venue: Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery, Doncaster DN1 2AE

To coincide with the St. Leger Festival. Doncaster art gallery will be displaying a selection of works from their permanent collection featuring the horse as a subject matter. To complement the collection and highlight contemporary practice of the horse as a subject matter, the gallery will also be showing eight pieces of work by Barnsley-based artist Joanne Kitson. Joanne's work will be a selection of detailed studies and sketches.

Event: The Horse In Art

Dates: 12 Jul 2013 - 11 Aug 2013

Venue: Obsidian Art, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks, HP22 5XJ

Annual exhibition celebrating the horse as a subject matter in art. The opening weekend will be held at, and in support of, The Home of Rest for Horses & a percentage of proceeds will be donated to The Horse Trust.

Event: Holmfirth Art Week Main Exhibition

Dates: 7 Jul 2013 - 13 Jul 2013

Venue: Holmfirth Art Week, Holmfirth, Huddersfireld

Joanne will be exhibiting in this year's Holmfirth artWEEK main exhibition at Holmfirth Civic Hall. She will be showing two pieces in the main exhibition, and selling a selection of unframed original sketches, prints and cards in the 'art market' section. All proceeds from the exhibition go to Macmillan.

Biography

Joanne Kitson is a professional artist specialising in equestrian art and animal portraiture. Joanne’s passion for equine subjects goes back to her childhood where she spent as much time as she could at her local stables, riding and tending to the ponies. This teamed with a keen interest in art from a young age meant that horses quickly became her main inspiration. After receiving her first commission at the age of fifteen Joanne progressed to build a large body of work and through word of mouth began to sell her work in local art exhibitions as well as receiving more commissions to paint animal portraits.

Joanne is often credited for the amount of anatomical detail she includes in her work. This developed as a result of having access to her own horse from which she made various studies. “I finally got my own horse at the age of 17, a rescue case named Shadow, a beautiful bay Anglo Arab gelding. Shadow became my companion and muse over the next couple of years, and it was also during this time that I started to take the study of anatomy seriously, and would often spend hours sitting in Shadow’s field observing and sketching him and his field mates from life, analysing equine conformation, colour and movement”.

Although no longer a horse owner, Joanne is a keen rider to this day and finds her regular and close contact with horses is essential to her art. Joanne now maintains a practice based on observations from life and her own photographic source material. By making sketches from life she has developed an uncanny ability to capture the individual personality and characteristics of her subjects. This ability has thrilled clients and collectors alike and her work now hangs in private collections in the UK, USA and Canada. Joanne enjoys an enviable international reputation in her field of animal portraiture.

Joanne lives on the edge of the countryside in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She lives with her husband Richard Kitson, a notable figurative artist and musician; and their rescued house rabbit Dolly.