Join the Bainbridge Public Library for the May 2019 First Friday Art Walk, featuring artist Joan Clark

The Bainbridge Public Library is dedicated to spreading the joy of reading and the discovery of ideas with not just our local community, but visitors from near and afar. In addition, the library is fortunate to house beautiful local works of art both inside and outside the building. Each month the library celebrates a local artist (or artists) with an exhibit, which opens monthly on the Island’s First Friday Art Walk tour, and includes a reception hosted by the featured artist.

Joan Clark will host a reception opening her exhibit, “People and Animals” on May 3rd, 5-7pm for First Friday Art Walk.

“My mother was instrumental in the start of my painting career”

Joan’s artistic career began at an early age, drawing and sketching, however, it wasn’t until the age of 10, when her mother, an artist herself, gave Joan her first set of brushes, frames and paints. This gift was the beginning of a lifelong passion for Joan—a passion that is still apparent in her work today.

Although Joan did take a few classes along the way, she is mostly self-taught, learning how to create vivid life-like images through larger brush strokes with fine details added in. She drew inspiration from the great masters, such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Brueghel, Van Dyke, Rubens, Holbein and Velázquez.

Joan did the majority of her painting in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s while her children were young, when they went off to school, Joan returned to the full-time workforce and her painting waned. When she retired five years ago, she decided to pick up her brushes again, but inspiration seemed to elude her, and frustration began to set in. When she saw a picture of her young granddaughter, she once again felt inspired, and although painting a family member can be difficult, she persevered and a beautiful work of art was the result. Since then Joan has been painting vigorously, her favorite subjects are people and animals. She prefers to paint from photographs, mostly obtained from National Geographic photographers, although some from pictures she’s taken herself. Joan’s talent as a painter is apparent in her ability to bring movement and life into her paintings, creating pieces that cause one to contemplate the story of her subjects—if you look at them long enough, you almost feel as if you know them personally. She typically works with oil on canvas or oil on shoji paper, but does have a few watercolors and one ink print.

This is Joan’s first public exhibit, and she is grateful to the Bainbridge Public Library for the opportunity to share her work with others.

You can view Joan’s exhibit throughout the month of May in the meeting room during regular library hours and on the library website, www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org. You can also listen to a podcast interview with Joan at (https://www.bestofbcb.org/arts-036-artist-joan-clark-at-the-library/ ).

As always, thank you for supporting your Bainbridge Public Library and local artists – Linda Meier, art coordinator. If you have interest in exhibiting your work, feel free to contact Linda at lindameier2000@gmail.com

***Library content and images provided by Linda Meier, Bainbridge Public Library