Throughout human history, nature has been a profound source of artistic inspiration. In this series, we talk with artists whose work is inspired by, created in, or connected to the brilliant nature in the Nature Trust’s care. Here we talk with Jo Vincent, a gold and silversmith, maker, and jeweller whose work is deeply intertwined with her time in nature.

Tell us about your journey as an artist. Where did you start, and how has your approach evolved over time?

The answers to your first three prompts could fill a book!

I have had a varied and interesting life, full of tumult and discovery, beauty, makery, loss and loneliness, and several big adventures.

I started young – I likely had a list of questions when I was born. One of my nicknames was “Star of Wonder”, as I always had a query on my lips. Always curious. I started making things when I was tiny, as I was able to learn about tools from my Dad and Granddad. I was not afraid of anything in the woodshop.

It was natural to launch into smithing, which I began 18 years ago. I have always loved antiques, jewellery, hand made items, odds and ends. My approach changes very often – I couldn’t point to specific dates when I made distinct changes in my approach. A life of making runs inside one’s real life, and requires improvisation and the ability to compromise.

You’ve said that you’re heavily influenced by your time in nature – tell us about that relationship. What aspects of nature particularly inspire you, and how you do see that influence reflected in your work?

Knife Edge Rings and two Dune Rings. Jovial Design.

When I’m with Nature – whether it’s a beach, a forest, a valley, a rain forest – I feel like I return to myself. As a maker, I think about creating every day, all day, and I have to make something, or my brain gets a bit constipated. My time in Nature allows a reset, to think about my place on the planet, to relax my heart, to think about my bird friends and the beauty of the trees. All of it.

I also live with a spinal cord disability, so time in the wild allows me to escape other people’s expectations, frankly.

Winter Frost Pendant. Jovial Design.

Some of your pieces are explicit representations of nature (for example, seashells or acorns), while others appear more abstract yet still have a very organic feel to them. How much do you decide in advance, and how much do you let the piece speak to you as it comes to life?

It’s both, and depends on the materials. If I think a piece should be done in gold, I do that. It also depends on the client, and which style line they prefer. If it’s a piece solely for me, something I really need to make, it can be a longer process; things do emerge that I could not have predicted.

Diamond Periwinkle. Jovial Design.

You work primarily in silver and gold, but some of your work also incorporates other materials, including pearls and precious and semi-precious stones. How does your choice of materials for a particular piece connect to your initial inspiration?

I make certain the materials belong together, whatever they may be. If someone asks me to incorporate a real pine cone, I’m saying no, but I’ll make them a silver or gold pine cone. I want my body of work to be elegant, beautiful, and still be true to me, and to the client.

Do you find that the medium of jewelry, or working with gold and silver, has a particular strength in what it can express and communicate, especially in terms of the connection with nature?

Knife Edge Rings. Jovial Design.

Oh, most definitely. The metals themselves are so ancient, and are mined in such wildly varied parts of the planet. It’s crazy to work with substances from inside the planet. I feel connected to the Earth, and to the first metalsmiths: since humans began using metals, we’ve all tried so many things, it’s all one big experiment, and most of the work is a reflection of, and response to, our surroundings. It’s a very human endeavour, and I’m so proud to be in that number. It’s very emotional to imagine how many hands have touched the metal I use, and even the antique tools I still employ.

You were closely involved with the WILD show, when ten local artists (including your husband) generously offered their nature-inspired art to help the Nature Trust protect the Blue Mountain Wilderness Connector. What inspired you to be involved with that, and did that connection have any kind of influence on your own art or creative expression? What would you say about the power of art in contexts like this? In protecting nature, but more generally as some kind of call-to-action?

I would have done anything for this fundraiser, and for Shelagh [Duffet, organizer of the event and a contributing artist]; she knew I’d say yes. That initiative seemed like such a normal, natural thing for me to do; the connection did not “influence” my work – it’s part of me, and my ethos.

Also, I felt very strongly about the Blue Mountain Wilderness Connector, I was good friends with Shelagh and so many of our colleagues were involved. It was such a beautiful event.

As for artists and Nature, we have always been conjoined, and have lived inside one another. It usually falls to artists to connect non-artists to their emotional lives, so, we did. Look at what a legacy the Group Of Seven left to Canadians, and how it connected us to their experiences of the natural world. I do not think for one second that my work or the Wild show have the same lasting impact of the Group Of Seven (for example), but we can keep putting our work in front of people, in hopes that they, too, will treasure our corner of the planet.

We are so grateful to Jo for sharing this conversation with us. You can find her work, Jovial Design, on Facebook and Instagram.  Jo’s work was featured in British Vogue in 2024. A portion of the proceeds from every sale goes to support an animal charity.

If you are an artist and would like to share the story of how nature influences your art, please reach out to us at nature@nsnt.ca!