Jo Fretwell-Dooley

Originally from Pampa, Texas, Jo has embraced the magic of St. Augustine, splitting her time part-time for nine years before making it her full-time home in 2023. She and her husband first fell in love with the area during a Christmas visit in 2013 when crossing the Bridge of Lions felt like stepping into a fairy tale—a moment that confirmed this was where they wanted to retire.
Jo’s creative journey has been lifelong and multifaceted. She has explored everything from teaching and crafting bulletin boards, costumes, and ornaments to decorating homes, flower arranging, jewelry design, furniture refinishing, cross-stitch, sewing, and quilting. Her passion for creating fuels her daily life, guided by the belief that “God did not put us on this earth to sit and grow old, He put us on this earth to create!”
Her formal artistic focus began in 2012 when she took a photography class at Grand Canyon University while temporarily living in Phoenix, Arizona. Since then, Jo has documented her many relocations and travels with a diverse portfolio including landscape, macro, wildlife, and street photography. Recently, she has explored AI-generated enhancements to breathe new life into her extensive photo library.
Jo’s photography captures the natural world with a gift for unobtrusive observation—often patiently waiting to make eye contact with her subjects, feeling a spiritual connection to the creatures she photographs. Her work reflects awe and wonder for God’s creation, particularly inspired by the stunning landscapes and wildlife she has encountered along the Tennessee River system and now in St. Augustine.
Her photographs have been exhibited at the Runge Nature Center and Capital Arts Gallery in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she earned a “Personality Award.” She has contributed to the Tennessee Conservation website, displayed work at Oschner Medical Center in Slidell, Louisiana, and taught photography workshops for the Art Educators of Missouri.