Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Joanie Springer


I have always been artsy craftsy, but an artist?  Hardly.  
My daughters laugh now in remembrance of how I drew 
stick figures on their lunch bags.


At age 54 I was dreaming of one day retiring and what that would look like.  Immediately I knew that I would take a painting class....to hold a brush was the dream.  Since I had chosen a career as an online entrepreneur there really was no retirement in clear view, and no pension as backup. So dream on, I told myself.
But I wrestled my way through all those negativities and decided to give myself "permission" to take a 4 week acrylic painting class through Park and Rec. dept.  It was magical from the first moment I dipped brush into paint, I was transformed by the experience.  And with my characteristic enthusiasm, I thought I better teach myself to draw, knowing that would make me a better painter.  I joined EveryDayMatters yahoogroup and started painting every day, many times a day.  I remember spending entire weekends just drawing every single model on every single page of my Vanity Fair magazine.  Simple outlines, contour drawings with a micron pen.  Eventually I bought some watercolors and was ecstatic to add color to my little ink drawings. 

One day I received an email from a fellow EDM artist and he commented that he liked my style!  I was over the moon....you mean I even have a style????  That was a boost to my confidence.  

The Love of drawing has stayed with me, and I often employ ink with my gouache paintings.  Which leads to....why gouache?  I went from acrylic
(too fast-drying and kills brushes), to watercolors (somewhat fussy and disliked preserving whites), to oils (smelly and messy), to watersoluble oils (still smelly, but less messy) and then discovered opaque watercolors...or gouache, and that was LOVE.  I now get to employ all my oil painting techniques with gouache and then I discovered that by waxing my paintings, I had a nice hard finish that rivaled oil paintings, too, and didn't require glass to display.  People look at my work now and think they are oils, that thrills me. All the opacity and elegance of oils with the ease and thrill of watercolor, finished off with that lovely organic wax sheen.   










I have declared 2013 My Year of Gouache...which means I intend to use it exclusively.  The more I stay with this media the more it teaches me.  All the media do that as well.  Gouache continues to thrill and inspire me.







So, I'm going to be 60 in September and these past 5+ years since I took that first painting class have been nothing short of awesome.  If the life we are given can be divided into three acts, my first act was a great childhood and lots of creativity - though music and theater were my creative outlet at the time, the second act (my 30s-50s) grueling and difficult - included schooling (B.A. and M.A.) divorce, single parenting, corporate jog, lifeohmygoshlife, not much time to create, and now that my third act has begun I'm creating anew.  And I feel like I'm making up for lost time.  I'm on my way to achieve a new late-in-life dream of being a full-time and self-supporting artist.  It is NEVER too late to dream our way into a new life. Is it easy?  Heck no, but no amount of hard work will keep me from my dream.  Meanwhile, I've begun teaching locally and privately and absolutely love sharing my art process and inspiring others.  As well I am creating tutorials that I will be offering online, too, so stay tuned!

Blessings and Gouache On!
Joanie


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19 comments:

  1. What an upbeat and inspiring story. I love Joanie's work and her enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you for spreading your sunshine and talent with us all!!

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    1. Dear JJ, Art buddy,
      Thanks for your kind words....I love this inspiration loop we have going - encouraging and inspiring one another through dry as well as juicy spells of creativity. Paint On!

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  2. You are certainly losing no time now, lovely work and it sounds as if your soul is flying. xox

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    1. Thanks so much, Corrine. I read a Jane Fonda memoir years ago and she referred to her life in three acts. I feel that this artistic turn for me IS my Third Act. Kids all grown, working less, plate cleared...it's time to Create. As the saying goes...Following one's bliss. Ten years ago if you told me I'd become an artist, I'd say you were nuts! Ah, Life.

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  3. Joanie I just popped over from Twitter and I have really enjoyed reading your blog. I can relate to this in so many ways. I too have just started a new life in art, at the age of 54 and loving every minute. It isn't easy at first, but I'm going to keep going as I love painting so much. I may even try Gouache now as I feel more inspired after seeing your beautiful paintings.Thank you :-)

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    1. Ah, Debbie, I love to hear about other women boldly discovering and declaring a deeper connection with their creativity. Brava!

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  4. Your story inspires me, and I'm in love with that green cat. Absolutely smitten!

    Welcome, fellow late bloomer!

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    1. HI Deborah, and so glad my silly little kitties crawled into your heart. My sister asked me the other day why all my cats smile but my people don't? She was hesitant to mention it, and when I heard it I laughed so hard. I'm not sure I have an answer, except that my faces all seem pensive, I agree. Life is not a black/white thing, but much more nuanced than that, thus my people reflect that I guess. And my cats? More on the silly side of serious. I have no idea why, but I've been scratching my head over it lately. Oh, and I do have a thing for cheshire cats. Had a real one once, my beloved Boomer.

      Thanks for the welcome.....we're a great tribe we latebloomers. : )

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  5. I too admire Joanie's story and just posted an interview with Joanie S to my blog....then saw this interview! Love this blog and will follow your posts.
    Maggie

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    1. Big thanks to Teresa and you, Maggie...I feel so blessed to have been interviewed twice in one week. If I can inspire others, then I've found my joy. Paint on, everyone!

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  6. Wonderful interview and I have been a big fan of Joanie ever since I started my own online art journey in Sept of 2011. Go Joanie! Your work is fabulous as is your spirit!

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    1. And Lisa....yours is quite the journey, too. One of the greatest gifts of expressing ourselves creatively is meeting other kindred souls who are doing their own unique thing. Thanks for your generous praise. Back at ya, O Creative One!

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  7. I loved hearing about your creative start! Your spirit shows through your art, keep up the wonderful work! :)

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    1. Thanks Indigene...for taking a moment of your time to comment. That feeds the creative soul, I tell you...more than you know. Blessings!

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  8. I really like your style too! Your art is very cool, and my favorite is the face. Is that a self-portrait? I have never tried gouache but I may have to check it out one of these days.

    Welcome to the Late Bloomer Group, and have a fabulous day!
    D~~~~

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    2. Hi Donna, Self portrait? Well not in any intentional way but yes, I think all artists - whether writers, painters, etc.. - can't help but include themselves in everything they do. I'm often asked if my faces are me...i laugh. First off, I'm terribly photophobic, LOATHE having my pic taken, always have. My wierdness. So the very last person I would paint is me. And yet there I am I suppose. Once I did try a self-portrait, me in the morning, still in bathrobe looking "old and tired" in a mirror, and crazily enough when I showed it some v dear friends they didn't recognize me. Now isn't that strange??? LOL.

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  9. I love your story, Joanie! You're right, it's never too late to follow your dream. I think your art is wonderful...that first photo is my favorite. Now I'm headed over to your blog to visit.

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    1. Thanks, Janet...and so glad you are going to hop over to my site and see more, read more. Lots on there about my art process, as well as my paintings of course. The site crashed the day after this interview went up so if you encountered the glitches, please try again! Blessings.

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