My mother, Jo Lowrie, who has died aged 92, was an artist known for her expressionist landscapes of Suffolk. Born in North London, she was a child of the Blitz. One night a bomb fell on the Anderson shelter in the garden. The family survived only because they had taken refuge beneath the kitchen table as the house collapsed around them. As rescuers dug them from the rubble, her abiding memory was of seeing her twisted bicycle lying atop the ruins of what had been their home.

Jo’s mother, Dora, whose father was a blacksmith, came from Ladbroke in Warwickshire. Jo’s father, Harry, was born in Hackney and later drove the 41 bus from Tottenham garage. Jo was the youngest of three children. In 1955 she married Tony Lowndes. They emigrated to New Zealand, seeking adventure beyond the drab austerity of post-war London. Full of optimism, they instead found a society still anchored in the 1920s. Undeterred, they built a new life. In 1960, they returned to London with their two children, Susan and me, and embraced the thrilling opportunities of the Sixties.

The family later settled in Bury St Edmunds, where their third child, Tom, was born. Dissatisfied with the role of executive wife, Jo sought new purpose. She took a foundation course at Byam Shaw, then a Fine Art degree, and reinvented herself as the artist D.J. Lowrie.

Moving to the coast, Jo found a profound connection with the landscape and skies that became the inspiration for her work. She was particularly proud to be interviewed for the BBC series Villages by the Sea. Stylish, witty and a great friend, Jo found profound happiness in Walberswick. She is survived by her three children, eight grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.