Born in Surrey in 1962, Joanne Last originally trained at the Royal College of Music as a classical pianist and worked for many years as an accompanist and teacher. However, painting had always been an integral part of her life, and in 1990 she undertook a two-year course at The Putney School of Art and Design. Joanne has painted many different subject matters - landscape, abstract, and cityscape – but always finds herself drawn back to the sea. A keen traveller, she particularly loves the rugged coast of North and West Cornwall and the barren beauty of the Scottish island of Islay. Her aim is not to simply record the view, but the experience of being in that place - the time of day, light, weight and surge of water, the feel of sun, rain or relentless wind.