"When you see John & Joanne's paintings for the first time, you see different styles but their gentle, happy personalities shine out from each canvas. When I look at these paintings I have a warm, glowing joyful feeling inside."

Lucy Dorrien-Smith
Tresco Abbey 2002

Above: Cornish artist Joanne Short painting in the Tresco Abbey Garden on the island of Tresco.

"Tresco must be one of the most beautiful places to paint in the world. It has such a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. It is a joy to sit and absorb what is all around and to translate it onto canvas. The whole experience has had a huge influence on my paintings with slight changes in both composition and palette.

It has been such a delight to sit beside John again and to paint the surrounding landscape just like we used to. The break I have had from this has somehow created a positive development in my work rather than making things more difficult. I believe that having had a little girl she has surrounded me with new influences over the last 3 years and this seems to have expressed itself through my new work, new colours, flowers and patterns. I certainly don't feel that my work has suffered from the break; on the contrary, the work is richer and I definitely feel more confident when faced with a blank canvas.

On Tresco my husband and fellow artist John Dyer and I were made to feel very welcome and I feel that this comes through in both our work; a sense of belonging rather than just a snapshot of a place.

The strength and beauty of the Tresco Abbey Gardens seems to carry itself across the whole island. The exuberant flowers which appear to explode like fireworks in the Gardens are mirrored in the whole landscape in a much more hidden and understated way. Nevertheless there are some quite mad and beautiful flowers hiding behind grasses and leaves. This really is an 'Island of Flowers' and definitely a 'Cornish Paradise'.

I think that Tresco will always be a special place which will remain close to our hearts and I consider ourselves privileged to have been allowed to experience and paint such a wonderful place."

Joanne Short 2002