Hi I'm Jo Hall and I am an artist and writer based in Scotland.

I have always painted, as well as being a quilter and fabric artist. In the 1990's, before I had a career with the BBC, I designed and sold jewellery and had a shop in the West End of Glasgow. I have also sold in craft fairs around Scotland.

Now I am back creating brooches and other unique pieces of jewellery. I start by drawing and painting or use digitally enhanced photographs as a starting point. Then these small pieces of art are printed onto the highest quality cotton or silk. These small individual pieces are then have more texture added through free motion embroidery. Even if the original drawing is used to make a brooch more than once, the finished item is never the same twice because of the hand finishing and textures added.

Before being finally hand stitching to seal the brooches, I write a thought or a few words on a slip of fabric and pop it inside the brooch. These are words that match the feeling of the design or that are uplifting. Inside the brooch these are never seen but are part of the unique story of each piece. I love things that have several layers of meaning to them. The brooches are then placed into a small tin box lined with tissue. Have a look at the film to see exactly how they are put together. If you want me to make you a brooch with your own thought or words inside get in touch, I can adapt one of my existing designs.

I am also experimenting with toughened hand painted paper which is glazed. The papers are painted with an abstract feel with acrylic paints and inks. The final pieces are laminated with resin. Paper is a surprisingly light tough medium. This is perfect for stunning geometric designs. The earrings are all designed with Sterling silver findings. The brooch backs are stainless steel.
Some of the brooches and earrings will be on gift cards instead of in boxes as they are a bit larger.

These are individual pieces of art for individual people. I hope you enjoy wearing them as much as I love making them.


Delighted to hear from you byjohall [!at] gmail.com