Joanna Martins : Bronzes

Joanna was born in Salcombe, Devon. Most of her childhood was spent following her father, a pilot in the Royal Navy, on his overseas postings. These experiences left a lifelong impression on her and an urge to travel and explore. After gaining a degree in Geology she spent 12 years working in the mining camps of Northern Ontario. Her time as a geologist in Canada and the 8 years she spent travelling and working in Africa, have profoundly influenced her outlook on life and its vagaries. Camping in the rainforest and living with the diverse people of the Congo in search of tribal art were amongst the most enriching of her life.

A nomadic lifestyle meant that her creative urges found expression in painting and drawing, but now that she is more settled in Devon, she has found that working in the round is more satisfying. She is exploring 3D work in cold cast bronze, ceramic, concrete, wood and mixed media.

The original models for the cold cast bronze pieces are built up in chavant clay from which a mould is taken to cast the finished work. Her subjects are usually animal in nature but are increasingly including human forms as she continues to develop her work. She feels that there should always be restlessness in the creative process so that the journey is one of exploration and not of revisiting familiar territory.