JC Norris was born and raised in Southeast Iowa and resides in Fairfield, IA. Her legal name is Jo Bartruff, but she uses her grandmother's name as an artist's psuedonym in her honor.

As a self-taught artist, her preferred medium is pastels. She received her BA in Religion from Iowa State University, and has taught Iyengar style Yoga for many years. She is currently retired, living with her cat, SugarBear, and partner, Jim.