JO ACTY, Founder and head tutor

Jo Acty was born in Maidstone, Kent. She studied Fine Art at Maidstone Art College, Winchester School of Art, and Brookes University, where she earned a BA in Fine Art and a Postgraduate Certificate in Artist Teacher Practice. In 1989, Jo founded ArtWorks in Oxford, initially starting in her back room. Over the years, ArtWorks has grown and adapted, moving around Oxford, with a brief eight-year stint in Devon. Jo has been a freelance artist and teacher in Oxfordshire and Devon for over 35 years. She has worked in a variety of settings, including schools (nursery, primary, and secondary), museums, hospitals, libraries, nature reserves, secure facilities, youth groups, and community organisations. Jo is passionate about teaching and sharing her skills, with a particular enthusiasm for materials. She works in various media and accepts commissions, having exhibited her work in Oxford, London, and Devon. Her artistic practice focuses on painting and printmaking as a means to record life.

Jo is an Arts Award Adviser for the Arts Council Award Scheme. You can view some of her work on her Instagram page.

HELEN EDWARDS

Helen Edwards was born in South Africa, grew up in several countries overseas as an ex-pat, and returned to the UK at the age of 15. She studied Fine Art (BA) at Brookes University, specializing in printmaking, performance Art, and Film. After gaining her PGCE in Secondary Art, Craft and Design she has taught in several schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Helen has 23 years of teaching experience, including Montessori Nursery, Primary, Secondary, and Adult tuition, and has been a tutor at ArtWorks for 16 years, as well as being ArtWorks’ lead Advisor for the Arts Award. Helen also runs her own tutored classes and holds weekly sessions in Portrait and Life Drawing Classes.

Her work is primarily focused on culture, water, and communication, influenced by her transient childhood. Helen exhibits during Artweeks and other venues in and around Oxford.

JAYA MANSBERGER

Jaya was brought up in Hawaii, Nepal and Oxford. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and has exhibited her paintings in galleries in London and Oxford. Her work has been shortlisted for international art competitions and she has curated various exhibitions at the Old Fire Station gallery in Oxford. As well as developing her own painting Jaya has also worked in home education for young people on the autistic spectrum for several years, mainly using art and yoga therapeutically to help them realise their potential. She has also worked on creative projects with children in both school and community group settings. Jaya loves helping the students at ArtWorks to explore their own personal artistic vision and sharing her skills and knowledge of art with them. http://www.jayamansberger.com Jaya is an Arts Award Advisor (Bronze and Silver)

ISABEL TAYLOR

Isabel Taylor grew up in Oxford and graduated from Cambridge University with an MA in English and Italian literature. She completed further studies in Fine Art at the Glasgow School of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her art practice is wide ranging, always beginning with the human body and combining traditional painting and drawing with 3D techniques such as puppet building and animation and mask making and other live theatre techniques. She has also illustrated books for children and recently completed a graphic novel. As well as teaching at Artworks, Isabel teaches creative writing, art and literacy to adults with learning disabilities and those who are homeless or socially vulnerable through various Oxford charities. 

CARMEN MARDONEZ E

Carmen recently joined our team, and we are so lucky to have her. Details to come, but click to see her website and Instagram

OUR WONDERFUL PAST AND VISITING TUTORS

ROSIE MCLEAN

Rosie McLean is a process-led artist based between Oxford and London who works with sculpture, costume and assemblage for installation, deconstructed lens-based media and image making. 

She studied English Literature as an undergraduate at Edinburgh University, then worked in fashion and costume and ran her own small couture costume and lingerie venture predominantly using intricate beadwork for several years.

Her work has been supported nationally and internationally, including Scottish Sculpture Workshop (Aberdeen), Kunstraum Kreuzberg (Berlin), The Royal Academy (London), Red Gallery (London), Glastonbury Festival (Somerset), Modern Art Oxford, Ovada (Oxford), and Fusion Arts Oxford (Oxford).

She interested in the intersections of psychotherapy and creative pedagogy, and has delivered creative workshops for over a decade for organisations including Soho House (London), Turning Point Rehabilitation, Waterloo Community Counselling and Growing Solidarity (Reading).

www.rosiemclean.com

ROSIE BRANDON

Rosie is passionate about making her own art and sharing her love for art with the children she teaches. She studied Drawing and Painting, level 2, at Abingdon and Witney College and has a BA Hons Degree In Early Childhood Studies at Oxford Brookes University. Rosie has more than 15 years of experience as an Educator in a variety of roles including preschool supervisor, Forest School Leader, 1:1 support, Nanny, Scout Leader, and Nursery Nurse. Since joining the team at Artworks Rosie has found that the nurturing nature of the tuition, freedom of choice, and shared pleasure of creating art complement each other to make for an exceptionally good learning environment and a safe space for the young people to express themselves. Rosie is also an Arts Award advisor (Bronze and Silver). Rosie has founded an art centre combining her love of the Forest School and ArtWorks ethos called Renboga.

ALI MORETON

Ali is primarily an artist and skill sharer, her specialism is oil-painting, but she also enjoys printmaking, life drawing, film, and sculpture. Ali has worked as a designer/illustrator for an international charity.

DANIEL MCNABOE

Daniel was born in Oxford.  He achieved a distinction in his Art Foundation at Abingdon and Witney College and went on to study illustration in Bristol.

 In 2010 Daniel moved from Bristol to the coast of North Devon to work as a photo realist painting assistant for the artist Damien Hirst. http://danielmcnaboe.co.uk/

GRACE EXLEY

Grace Exley studied Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford and has an MA from the Royal Drawing School in London. Grace loves to teach as she feels that it keeps her own practice fresh and inspired. She has exhibited her work many times in both group and solo shows.

KIERAN COX

Kieran Cox holds a BSc (Hons) Human Sciences from University College London, the course involved studying History of Medicine at the Wellcome Institute and Life Drawing at the Slade School of Fine Art. Kieran studied Foundation Art & Design at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. 

Kieran works in arts administration for an Oxford-based community arts charity.

 SIMON ACTY

Simon Acty is an illustrator and designer with a further background in animation, fine art and film.

A graduate of Animation and computer visual effects from Falmouth University, Simon is experienced in various software and techniques for traditional/digitally aided illustration and design.