The Fantasy Art of Josephine Wall

Arthur Wiener, the founder of WMODA, is a huge fan of fantasy art by Josephine Wall and has been inspired to present her mystical paintings alongside his spectacular collection of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre. As part of our Fall Fantasy event at WMODA, visiting expert Dr. Pat Sager Lane will be talking about Josephine’s art at 11am on Sunday, September 22.

Arthur first came across Josephine’s mystical paintings in puzzle form while relaxing with his family. They evoked such warm emotions and connections in him that he determined to find out more about Josephine. He recently visited her gallery in Poole, Dorset and heard more about her life and work.

Fantasy is the mirror of the imagination and it gives Josephine the opportunity to create strange and mystical creatures and situations and paint the world how she would like it to be. Josephine’s fantasy is a joyous proposition that embraces all that is good, dreamlike and mystical. She has been inspired by great writers such as J.M. Barrie and Lewis Carroll as well as by ancient myths and legends. She is also influenced by famous painters and illustrators, including Dali, Rackham, Mucha and the Pre-Raphaelites. Having begun her career in ceramic art, she has a deep appreciation for Wedgwood’s Fairyland Lustre and the fertile imagination of Daisy Makeig Jones.

Josephine began her artistic career at the Poole Pottery where she painted Delphis ware in the swinging sixties. The life of a painter was her destiny and is her all-consuming obsession. She works in an attic studio at her enchanting Wisteria cottage near the sea with beautiful woodland views of Dorset. Many of her mystical images come from her close observation of nature and her keen interest in preserving it. As an artist, she is sensitive to the plight of humanity and feels the energy of Mother Earth. Several of her paintings feature Gaia, the Greek primal earth goddess, protecting and repairing what man is bent on destroying. She tells visual stories of fairies and elves, dragons and unicorns, talking animals, angels and spirits to inspire in her audience a personal journey into the magical world of their own imagination. In Josephine’s words, “There are never enough hours in the day to paint all the images in my head.”

Josephine’s first solo show was in 1975 and her work was selected for the Art of the Imagination exhibition at the Mall Gallery in London in 1998. In 2004, Josephine began exhibiting at New York’s Art Expo and her work was selected for a series of hand-embellished giclee limited edition prints to sell at cruise ships auctions around the world. In 1995, she was nominated for the ARTV awards in Las Vegas and her first book The Fantasy World of Josephine Wall was published in the same year. The pop star Britney Spears chose a number of Josephine’s images for her website and Josephine traveled the world talking about her art. Dr. Patricia Sager of Sunbeams Initiatives, who managed Josephine’s events and personal appearances, will be at WMODA during our Fall Fantasy Festival on September 22 to talk about Josephine’s life and career. In Pat’s words, “Josephine’s art is exactly what the world needs right now. It provides an altered state of reality that enables us to escape from conflict and sadness to a beautiful world of peace, tranquility and happiness if just for a moment.”

Over the years, Josephine has painted murals, furniture and even her own clothes and boots. She loves pottery, dress designing and gardening. It’s not surprising, given Josephine’s wide-ranging inspiration, that she has been approached by many companies wishing to interpret her art in other forms. Since 1993, her images have been licensed for puzzles, figurines, fabrics, needlepoint, jewelry, journals, calendars, stationery, prints, posters and greetings cards. She was dubbed the ‘Jigsaw Queen’ when six of her designs were in the top seller list. The WMODA shop now has a selection of her prints, posters and cards for sale, as well as her Ceramic Sensations tile collection to add some fairy magic to your home décor.

Hear Dr. Pat Sager Lane talk about The Fantasy Art of Josephine Wall at WMODA - 11:00am on Sunday, September 22