Art & Life with Joanna Marie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Marie.

Joanna Marie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I first knew I wanted to be an artist at the age of three. My cousin, who was eight years old at the time, drew a picture of toys beneath a Christmas tree and I thought it was just magical. I remember thinking “What if I became an artist? What if I started to DRAW?” I started drawing after that, and I’ve never stopped.

In my teens, I took some art classes at a community college. The art teacher at the time had retired from running an art store in NYC, and he and his wife moved to AZ to retire. One of the main things that has stuck with me since those classes is contrast. I learned how to use it in my art, how to push the shadows in and pull the highlights out. He used to say every artwork needed a “splice of life”. That element that would draw your eye, would make the whole thing pop on the page. I’ve taken those lessons and apply contrast and life to all of my work. I use contrasting colors to bounce off of each other, darks and lights to push and pull.

My family has always been a big inspiration and motivation for me, and especially now that I have my own children. My children are biracial and I’ve realized how important representation is for them. In my youth, my default was to draw white people almost exclusively, but I am working to change that default. I want my children (and really anyone) to see themselves in my art.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a portrait artist with a range of styles, from realistic fine art to fantasy caricatures. My favorite subjects are women, cats, and horses, but I’ve done a wide variety of animals, and sometimes paint portraits of men as well. My favorite tools to work with are acrylic paints and colored pencils, but when I’m in the mood, I’ll use oils, watercolors, pen and ink, pastel, graphite pencil, and I’ve done some collages, even. I’ve never been able to stick to just one medium – they are all so different and interesting to work with.

I really love capturing a likeness. Discovering what elements of a face make it unique, what little details I need to bring out the personality. What makes the features uniquely YOU.

My main goal as an artist is to bring more peace & beauty into the world and to make people feel special. Art can make you think, it can foster discussion, it can even nurture social change. Art can also be calming, peaceful. My own personal art journey is less about making a big statement and more about providing beautiful imagery and a space of peace. Life gets so fast paced sometimes that we need the ability to just sit and take a breath. I hope that others can get that breath when they look at my work.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I think conditions for artists are better in some ways and worse in others. The widening wage gap means that less people are able to buy art now that may have in the past, but the internet has opened a huge door and access to markets that would have been much more difficult to reach in the past!

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can find me online in several different places! You can support me with purchases, but even just a nice comment, or sharing means so much as well!

I don’t currently have any public exhibitions, but you can see a piece I did on the wall at the Monarch Theater nightclub in downtown Phoenix – it’s the portrait of Jam Master Jay!

Contact Info:

• Website: joannamarieart.com
• Email: joanna@joannamarieart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/joannamarieart
• Facebook: facebook.com/joannamarieart
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY9yQDUD8zGvL6vQoRl3vTA

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.