This outstanding churn is painted by Joe Armstrong…simply marvellous 😊

Growing up in London, Joe Armstrong spent five years studying Art an Design at the Epsom School of Art. After a stint working in advertising, in 1986 he moved to Cornwall, where he went on to have a successful career in graphic design for thirty years.

As painting was always at the forefront of his mind and as he started to develop his work he was soon offering original art for sale alongside his graphic design business.

“I love the freedom to speak my own language when making art,’ describes Joe, “I originally started with brushes, but found that I couldn’t put wet paint on top of wet paint without making the colours go muddy. So, I tried a palette knife and hey presto! I also use my fingers, it all adds to the texture and movement.”

Now a full-time artist, Joe sells and exhibits his work in galleries across Cornwall, with an impressive range of collectors and followers of his pieces worldwide.

His paintings play with colour and movement and there’s no restrictions on paint when it comes to achieving a desired effect. With the palette knife, Joe’s work often takes on abstract tones, but the textures he creates with the oil paint gives each piece an effervescence and grace whilst allowing bold colours to sing.

On a never-ending mission to keep developing, exploring and pushing the boundaries of his style, Joe is rarely seen away from his work and often he is out and about photographing locations around Cornwall before returning to the peace and quiet of his studio to paint, “Although my colours and treatments are my attempt at making each piece unique, my landscapes are a great representation to people that would like to take their memories home with them.”

As the dark winter months roll in, enjoying the richness of Joe’s work certainly offers a sense of nostalgia to warmer and far more colourful times. You can view Joe’s work for yourself at a range of galleries across Cornwall, including the Art House Gallery in St Ives, Cornwall.