Inside Jo-Anne Swain’s Quiet Studio filled with Creativity and Memories

Following a long family line of artists, I have always sketched and studied art. ​ I love the smell of fleece and the wonder of nature. Therefore, I live to create something as sustainable as lovely and usable. Creating something to adorn a space, such as a painting, is as much a privilege as it is a pleasure. Ultimately, I feel most fulfilled and of purpose when I am creating. ​ I was a self-taught fibre artist for over 50 years. I started spinning when I was 12. My slow fashion, artist bears and hand-spun yarn have been sold in Australia and worldwide.

​ I have also been a complex weaver, with my drafts used by weavers from many countries, and my work has been sold around Australia, including at the Australian Museum in Canberra. ​ One of my favourite media has been relief printing, for which I have been highly commended. ​ I have worked in many mediums, with some oil paintings in private collections worldwide. ​ Drawing, painting, spinning, and slow fashion occupy most of my time. I have artworks available at the Gateway Gallery and works from my studio, Dudal Comer Cottage, in Henty.

From here, I create sustainable fashion, spin and dye yarns, make my paint (using pigment and acrylic mediums), and sketch. ​ ​ Some family history… My mother was also a gifted artist who won a Brisbane art award in her younger days. My maternal grandmother was a gifted watercolourist and potter. My great-grandfather Gibson, who painted Albert Namatjira, my uncle, who trod the streets of Wahroonga with his paint, brushes and easel. From artists dating back to before any of my family landed in Australia. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It is in my DNA to draw, paint and create.

And guess what? Jo-Anne Swain is a featured artist in our Studio Visit Book, Vol. 5, alongside many talented artists worldwide. Want a sneak peek? Grab your copy now from our shop and enjoy the fantastic artwork created by this global community.

https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/the-creative-process-book

In this week’s studio visit interview, we spend time with Australian fibre artist Jo-Anne Swain in her peaceful, garden-view studio at Dudal Comer Cottage in Henty. Jo-Anne opens up about her lifelong love for creating, from drawing and spinning to making slow fashion and handmade paints. She shares a typical day in her studio, the nostalgic stories behind her current work, and the joyful chaos of painting while raising small children. Her loyal pets keep her company as she works in solitude, and the smell of paint—sometimes mixed with the lanolin-rich scent of fresh fleece—fills the space. This interview gives us a beautiful insight into the daily rhythm, inspirations, and creative soul of a woman whose art is as attractive as skilful.

1.  Can you describe your typical studio day and creative process?

My typical day in the studio starts by setting up all that I will need to use for that day’s work. I clear my space of everything and ensure that the only things in my space are related to the job. My process starts with a rough sketch in pencil. Once this is put on paper, I choose the pen best suited to the area I am working on. I start putting pen to paper with the background first, ending with the featured subject last. Drawing this way can take many days. Typically, I work 6 to 7-hour days. Finally, I take a photo of the piece. I find this helpful in pointing out any finishing touches that may be needed.

2.   What is the primary inspiration behind your current body of work?  

At the moment, I am fascinated with nostalgia and am drawing things from childhood that speak of days gone by and of innocence. I remember Helping Mum in the kitchen and playing in the yard—days of aprons and rope clotheslines, mud pies, and play.

3. What is your favourite memory or incident from your studio?

I feel that the days of painting in the laundry, when my toddler was always under my feet, are some of my favourite memories. One day, I turned around to find her about to eat a handful of expensive oil paint. I couldn’t afford that to happen in more ways than one—those days when space was limited and little children were around made me smile.

4. Do you have any studio assistants, or do visitors, such as pets or children, often accompany you?

My pets are always around. I like to work with nobody disturbing me. Having the dog and cat sit with me is all the company I need while working. Anyone can visit the studio outside of those times. I like to be alone when my pen or brush is in hand. This contrasts significantly to when I am spinning, as I can do that with my eyes closed and don’t need the same concentration level.

5. How would you describe a dream studio for yourself?

I feel that I already have the dream studio. I have a stand-alone studio with the all-important air conditioning and a whole wall of glass doors bringing the outside garden in. Everything has a designated area with storage at the back. I have a space for textiles, mulling paint, painting, and drawing, with the sounds of water and birds, the chooks (chickens), and my dachshund by my side.

6. What does your studio smell of right now?

Paint and more paint. Paint is the overriding smell, as pens don’t have such a strong odour. However, if I have a fleece straight from the sheep’s back, it can smell strongly of lanolin.

7. If you could set up your studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Japan is my favourite place to be. I love the gardens and nature there. Yet I love anywhere that brings the outdoors in. I am the sort of person who could live in a tent but would need a truck for my art supplies.

8. Can you discuss any ongoing projects or plans for your work?   

As my drawings take so many hours to complete, I have a backlog of drawings I need to do (wanting to do isn’t a thing—I need to draw them). Therefore, more drawings of nostalgia and days of innocence are on the agenda. At the moment, I am stuck in the past with my future plans for work.

9. How do you organise your space?

I am pretty tidy and may even say obsessed with having a place for everything and everything in its place. My studio is split into areas to keep different mediums separate, and never will 2 of them be mixed. I pack up at the end of the day, even if I am only going to come back to it the next morning.

10. What is your favourite corner in the studio?

My comfortable chair, facing the glass wall overlooking the garden, is my favourite place in my studio. It is my spinning corner, where I can quietly spin and forget the world.

Jo-Anne Swain’s studio feels calm, cosy, and deeply connected to nature. It’s a bright, thoughtfully organised space with a whole wall of glass doors that let in the garden’s gentle light and soothing sounds—birds, water, and the soft clucking of chooks (chickens). The atmosphere is both focused and peaceful, with the quiet companionship of her dog and cat nearby. It’s a place where time slows down, creativity flows freely, and everything has its place, down to the very last pen or paintbrush.

Visit our website to explore the virtual studio spaces of other artists. To be featured on our website, remember to apply for this month’s call for art.

Read more about Jo-Anne Swain on her Website and Instagram.

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