Joanne Kitson is a professional artist specialising in equestrian art and animal portraiture. Joanne’s passion for equine subjects goes back to her childhood where she spent as much time as she could at her local stables, riding and tending to the ponies. This teamed with a keen interest in art from a young age meant that horses quickly became her main inspiration. After receiving her first commission at the age of fifteen Joanne progressed to build a large body of work and through word of mouth began to sell her work in local art exhibitions as well as receiving more commissions to paint animal portraits.
Joanne is often credited for the amount of anatomical detail she captures in her work. This developed as a result of having her own horse in her late teens and spending much time sketching him. She would spend hours observing and recording his structure, movement and colour. Although no longer a horse owner, Joanne is still a keen rider and animal lover. Her portfolio has grown to cover all domesticated pets as well as wildlife subjects in recent years.
Her continuing experience with animals is a constant source of inspiration which informs her work. She maintains a practice based on observations from life and her own photographic source material; by making sketches from life she has developed an uncanny ability to capture the individual personality and characteristics of her subjects. This ability has thrilled clients and collectors alike and her work now hangs in private collections in the UK, USA and Canada. Joanne enjoys an enviable international reputation in her field of animal portraiture.
Joanne lives on the edge of the countryside in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She lives with her husband Richard Kitson, a notable figurative artist and musician. She is a keen supporter of Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity and donates a proportion of sales to the charity.
