1. Old Toy – wood, license plate, found objects, metal, plastic; 15 x 14 x 6″ in.
2. Torn Quilt II – canvas, acrylic paint, added canvas, mattress pad, wire, thread, wood frame; 37.9 x 25.5 in.
Joan Painter-Jones
Even though I started in watercolors in the mid to late 1970’s and enjoyed it, I began to collage and build out the painted paper until I needed very deep frames. By then I needed something more and began using canvas, then wood, then adding found objects.
Since I’ve never wanted to waste anything, being brought up in a household where money was tight, I feel a connection to old, worn out objects; they seem to have a story to tell. My works are mostly intuitive, with very little of my most basic background from art classes guiding me so it’s hard to tell where one starts and one leaves off.
With no preconceived idea of what the finished artwork will resemble, I start with an interesting piece of wood, usually, and gradually build on until it looks right to me. I usually paint on it, maybe adding collage, during or afterward. My aim is to feel an emotional connection when it’s finished.
© Joan Painter-Jones