Brief Narrative: I am a painter. I moved to NYC in 1971 after graduating from the University of Washington in Seattle. I chose NY because my painting instructor at the U of W, Earl Miller, suggested that I study at the Art Student's League. I attended a few sessions at the League in the seventies, however, my major effort was spent in finding a job and surviving. Once settled in a job, I went to Pratt to work on an MFA. At Pratt I studied under George McNeil and gained some insight into color as emotional expression. My work from this period was figurative oil paintings which were large, 3 by 5 feet, and expressionistic. The paintings were kindred to Otto Dix in content and to Emil Nolde and Soutine in execution. I was terrified of the neighborhood surrounding Pratt so I left before completing my thesis presentation. I moved to Manhattan and painted without instruction throughout the seventies. In 1978 I worked at the Whitney Museum of American Art as an assistant curator on the exhibit , "Synchromism and American Color Abstraction". This exhibit introduced me to the work of Sonia and Robert Delaunay, Patrick Henry Bruce, Charles Sheeler, Morgan Russell and James Henry Daugherty. Their use of color as form still influences me. The combination of the Whitney's low salary and selling my paintings was not enough to provide economic stability. Throughout the eighties and early nineties I concentrated on making money by working in corporations in fields completely unrelated to art. I attended, whenever time would allow, the Art Students League and the NY Academy of Art. I studied anatomy under Anthony Palumbo, Gary Faigin and Elliot Goldfinger and perspective under Gary Faigin. My work from this period was mostly pencil and charcoal figure drawings. From the spring 1995 to 1997 I attended sessions at the Pastel Society instructed by Richard Pionk, George Thompson and Christina Debarry (I also study with Christina at the Somerset Art Association... She is GREAT). Tonal values and form were emphasized by these instructors. Not to mention, color! During my studies at the Pastel Society I again returned to painting, and I entered and graduated from the Masters program at NYU focusing in studio art (painting and drawing), After finishing NYU I moved to the country and I now focus on painting – mostly oils and watercolors. I paint from life, fantasy, and photographs.
* NY Academy of Figurative Art, NYC -Anatomy and Perspective with Elliot Goldfinger and Gary Faigin
* New York University Graduate School -Masters in Painting with Michael St. John and Karl Ostendarp
* Art Students League, NYC -Figure Drawing with Gary Faigin and Anthony Palumbo
* Pratt Graduate School, Brooklyn, NY -Painting and Graphics with George McNeil and Walter Wickheiser
* University of Washington, Seattle, WA with Mark Greenwold and Michael Spafford and Earl Miller -Painting and Graphics
* Pastel Society, NYC - Color and Tone (with George Thompson, Christina DeBarry and Richard Pionk)
All paintings are created by me, Joan Winter. Every painting is original and one-of-a-kind. As with most artists, I paint in many styles and formats. Subject matter and mood determine choice of medium(s).
Thank you for visiting my website and come back often.