Jo C. Willems | Behind the Scenes

“I was born near-sighted, acutely so. My early visual experiences were of only broad soft planes of colour until my first pair of glasses at the age of five. That added a new dimension to the quandary of paint and colour, for now my world also consisted of lights and darks–fine detail of which I had no inkling existed before that moment when the glasses were first slipped onto my little nose. Such amazing detail, tiny rocks, shadows, depth. So much to see! It has held me captivated ever since and much of my life has been dedicated to exploring the marvel of paint and colour and light, and detail. I hold a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine and a BSc from UBC. Among other things, I spent the better part of a decade travelling on foot along wilderness trails including the Pacific Crest and Great Divide Trails.“ - Jo C. Williems