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Joann Wells Greenbaum
Fine Art
Blog
by Joann on 1/26/2009 8:34:03 AM
self portrait
On day 14 of Alyson Stanfield's Blast Off class, we are asked questions designed to find the language to talk about our art.
#1 question:When is the first time you realized you were an artist?
In kindergarten I remember being jealous of another student whose drawing was better than mine. She drew arms that looked like tubes with circles at the end for hands, wow, was I impressed.
On a family vacation around this time, I witnessed my grandmother sitting at her painting easel on a boat dock and being intrigued by what she was doing. Later as I grew I would draw images that reflected my idea of what I thought growing up meant. I always enjoyed working with my hands, whether it was sculpting mud pies or taking sewing lessons from my grandmother.
There were a few years where I wrote , directed and produced some Christmas plays for the neighborhood kids, my siblings, and myself to star in, then we performed for our parents in my living room. Thanks, mom for your support in those productions.
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by Joann on 1/19/2009 2:19:28 PM
Orchard
During this month of January I am participating in an online class with Alyson Stanfield
called "Blastoff". This course is about getting organized in order to be more productive, to accomplish my goals and visions for my art. Included with this great class are some real "nuts and bolts" actions which will allow me to streamline my work habits to be more efficient and to have a clearer vision. I've also been devoting the month to exploring new concepts with my paintings. What that means is time spent scribbling, doodling and experimenting with chalks, crayons, and colored paper, scissors and glue. In northeast Pennsylvania, where we've had record snowfalls, it's been a great time to stay inside close to the woodstove while practicing my art. The month is more than half over, but I've learned so much about how to work smarter and more purposefully. It's an auspicious beginning to the new year.
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by Joann on 1/13/2009 12:32:55 PM
"Ladders Cross the Blue Sky in a Wheel of Fire." 1953
I appreciate that Joan Miro established a language of symbols that are unique to his experience. Their childlike, bold strokes and colors are primitive and spontaneous in feeling. Miro's ladder symbol has shown up in many of his works, and they were employed to illustrate his "connection to heaven, his relationship with the powers of creation."
Scroll down this page to view my use of ladders as a symbol in my paintings.
by Joann on 1/13/2009 12:24:50 PM
"What I dream of is an art of balance" (Henri Matisse)
I have used a ladder in several paintings in my dreamscape series to represent rising above a situation to view the larger picture. I'm embarking on a new body of work that will explore symbology from my previous work and current experiences. More about that later.
by Joann on 1/8/2009 1:33:42 PM
Self portrait 3
One more example of playfulness with colored paper, scissors and paste.
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by Joann on 1/8/2009 1:30:51 PM
self portrait 2
More cutting and pasting
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by Joann on 1/8/2009 1:27:49 PM
self portrait 1
This was made by cutting and pasting, one of the most elementary of techniques that we learned as kindergartners. It lead to some other fun experiments which I'll post soon.
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by Joann on 1/8/2009 12:43:19 PM
Endangered Earth and Intact Sun
I have been studying one of my favorite artists, Joan Miro
Miro's images look very childlike at first appearance, but they are loaded with his symbols which he created as his own artistic language. I'm also thinking about the importance of allowing myself to play and experiment with color and shapes and wondering how this kind of experimentation will lead to more visionary paintings.
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