JO HABGOOD
WELCOME
Hello, my name is Jo Habgood and I am a commission artist and experienced art tutor living and working in Buckinghamshire.
I love the daily variety of what I do, from painting commissions for clients, running art and wellbeing workshops, teaching art to children and adults, through to coaching children and adults navigate their way through the tricky times we often find ourselves in.
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This is why I have created The Energy Space: my happy place, full of creative and positive energy where I offer private art tutoring as well as one to one coaching sessions using Reiki, Tapping, NLP or all three blended together as each session is tailor made for you.
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“I prefer living in colour”
David Hockney
ABOUT ME
I was always drawing and painting from a young age. Art has always been my passion and even when it was temporarily “put on hold” as I embarked on a business career in the city, it had a habit of resurfacing and reminding me of what I should be doing! Eventually I did listen to my heart and changed direction completely, retraining as an art teacher.
I worked in secondary education for several years and also set up the first After School Art Club for 10-18 year olds with Artsmart School of Art before having my daughter and setting up my own business “Little Van Goghs”, a toddler arts and crafts group.
At that time I started to paint again, gradually building up a new portfolio of work including murals for schools and nurseries, ball and prom artwork and even redesigning a café! I have also exhibited and sold my work in the Eye Like Gallery in Beaconsfield and the Dancing Teapot in Marlow. It was through all of this that I was offered a job in a local primary school to come in as an art specialist – there I discovered what a privilege it is to be able to teach and inspire young children to express themselves creatively. I love seeing them develop in confidence and gain an interest in art, which will hopefully stay with them throughout their lives.
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Alongside my art, I am also a trained NLP Practitioner, EFT Tapping Practitioner and Reiki Level 2 Practitioner which gives me the ability to bring those skills into my teaching and private tutoring as well as coaching children and adults through some of life's challenges. I often use those skills together with my art specialism to offer sessions in art and wellbeing in schools, private coaching for children and adults of all ages as well as working as a professional artist. I love the mix of what I do as it all works so perfectly together.
COMMISSIONS
I have always loved painting for others – it gives me so much pleasure to be able to create something that is personal to them. Although I am guided by each client’s wishes, being able to produce a unique and personal piece means that I always become emotionally connected to my work. I often paint instinctively with brushes, palette knives and even my hands to achieve the desired result.
My paintings have evolved over time, and I now use a variety of mixed media techniques to create vibrant, expressive pieces with a strong sense of energy and movement. As I’ve grown older I have discovered the power that different colours have on the way you think and feel and I often use this in my work to create a certain mood. Art should make you feel good!
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How much does it cost to commission a painting?
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Not as much as you think. It is important to me to make art accessible to as many people as possible so you can commission your own artwork from as little as £75. When we have discussed your requirements I will let you know into which price band the painting will fall depending on size and complexity:
Price band A £75-£150/Price Band B £150-£350/ Price Band C £350-£550/ Price Band D £550-£750/Price Band E £750-1000/Price Band F £1000+
"As a birthday present my family bought me the opportunity to have a commissioned painting by Jo. When I discovered that we both shared a love for David Hockney and particularly his colourful landscapes I knew immediately that I would like her to paint the view from our house in a Hockney style. The result was fantastic and it looks amazing on our wall."
Jeanette, Kingston Blount
"As an interior designer it is important to trust your artist to create the perfect piece of art to complement a design concept or complete a room. I was thrilled to find Jo. She worked closely with me from the start, ensuring she knew exactly what I was trying to achieve and painted a beautiful skyline combining the cities of London, New York and Paris. This fulfilled the picture brief and complemented the room design scheme perfectly. Jo is a pleasure to work with and I would definitely recommend her to anybody who needs inspiration and beautiful art whether you are an interior designer or just need to make any space in your home more special.
"We decided to have a piece of art commissioned for our hallway and immediately thought of Jo. Having previously bid for one of her paintings in an auction we knew she would create the talking point we were looking for. We gave her the brief of trying to represent the fun and energy in our household, giving her details of places, music, sports and activities we loved. We left it up to Jo to bring it all together in her own way and were thrilled with the resulting triptych, which is completely unique to our family. We love showing them off to everyone that comes over and they are certainly a talking point at all our parties! It was obvious Jo really cared about every aspect of the process and creating something special for our family and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone who was thinking of having artwork commissioned."
The Kelly Family, Marlow.
We loved Jo's paintings on her website and decided to commission a large piece for our dining area. We asked for a bright, colourful abstract floral painting with some "oomph" and she certainly delivered! It looks fantastic and provides the centrepiece we needed to bring the room alive - we would thoroughly recommend her.
The Wroe Family, Gerrards Cross
"I am very happy my instincts led me to Jo, via an internet search. I had an image of what I wanted in my mind and she has created the perfect painting for my house and character. She spent time chatting to me and assessing my environment beforehand. I will definitely return to her if I find an empty wall and I will be recommending her to other people. Thank you Jo for everything!"
Hannah, Cheddington.
"Wonderful to have a totally original piece of artwork. Jo listens carefully to your ideas and is able to interpret that rather vague and uncertain specification into an end product that exceeded our expectations. We love it!"
Alan & Wendy, Stubbington
NEWS & EVENTS
GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE
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Gift vouchers can be purchased for private art tuition,
art and wellness experiences and painting commissions.
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Please contact me for a tailored voucher just for you!
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NEW FOR SPRING 2024: ART CLASSES IN MARLOW
More information coming soon!