I’m Jo-Anne Burgess and I'm an illustrator specialising in cut paper collage. My small business established in 2016 is called Green Magpie.

GREEN represents the sustainable aspect to everything I do. All of the materials I use in my collages are salvaged or repurposed; from old books to discarded magazines and collected paper ephemera. Green is also the colour synonymous with my homeland, The Emerald Isle and happens to be my favourite colour too!

MAGPIE is the name I was gifted by my siblings growing up, owing to my nature of squirrelling away found, shiny things (gift wrap, sweet wrappers, foil and sequins) to transform into pictures. I’m the 7th of 9 children, so our house was always busy, and I loved to make gifts for friends and family, and artwork for the walls.

I moved from Belfast to study Textile Design at Winchester School of Art, and since graduating in 2007 have been making and teaching around the South of England.

I make artwork full time from my home studio for private and commercial clients all over the world. I also host craft workshops for parties, private events and festivals and I’m passionate about passing on traditional craft skills through my teaching.

When I’m not cutting and sticking I can be found exploring Hampshire with my husband and 3 children, usually taking photos of houses and shops for rainy day projects!