A Way Out

Watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on aquaboard 

5 x 7 in. 

© 2026

6 x 8 in. (f) 

Framing included 

Jo Tomsick grew up in Cleveland as the shy visual artist in a family of extroverted musicians. She found escape and belonging in books, video games, and imaginary friends. Most of her free time was spent reading, sketching, and dreaming up adventures in otherworldly realms. As an adult, making authentic art for her means casting back to the unfettered imagination of childhood, and diving into the stories and imagery that inspired her then. 

Myth, folklore, and themes in literature are frequent sources of inspiration for her work, as well as symbology and metaphor. One symbol that frequently resurfaces in her work is birds, and the concept of flight. Across cultures and religions, birds represent spirit, and flight bridges the impassable distance between the earthly and divine. In Jo’s work, birds act as mystical guides or enigmatic familiars to their human counterparts.

Jo’s approach to oil painting combines an academic mind set with experimentation. Implementing a rigorous concept and design process helps her dial in the precise emotional message for each painting, while thoughtfully crafting the image. Dramatic lighting and dynamic composition often work together to unify the narrative of each piece. Jo frequently works in layers in order to gradually coax her thematic elements to life, while also lending the work a dreamlike quality.

Jo is currently transitioning from a life traveling the country as an Army wife, to a life on the West Coast as a working artist. She lives with her miniature-painting-afficionado husband, and her bossy cat, Cassiopeia.