Showcasing incredible talent and celebrating Joan J. Campbell
Joan J. Campbell Acrylic and watercolor artist
Showcasing incredible talent and celebrating Joan J. Campbell
About Us
Joan was a multi-media artist maintaining studios in Ohio and Florida. She graduated from Kent State University in 1975 with a degree in Fine Arts. Her studies at Kent State included the Blossom Program with Artists-on-lend Walter Darby Bannard, Don Eddy and Tom Lehnert. Additionally, she studied at the University of Cincinnati for two years, and prior to that with instructors from the Chicago Art Institute, including Girts Purins, an expressionist painter who had long tenure at the University of Pittsburgh teaching painting, design and color theory. Early influences in Chicago also included Ed Paache and work of Oldenberg.
Early in her career, Joan created really large, primarily expressionist pieces combining organic and geometric form using acrylic on canvas. Then Joan began working with lacquers becoming an award winning airbrush painter creating delicately painted murals enhanced with many coats of pearlized and metallic colors. She utilized this medium to paint hundreds of vans, cars, motorcycles, four-by-fours and business vehicles. The demand for this type of work grew very quickly: and in 1975 she formed her own corporation, “Joani’s Custom House”, whereby an entire crew was hired to build show vans, and engine modifications. At least twelve vans were brought in weekly for graphics and murals. She often painted on location and was interviewed several times on television talk shows for the promotion of the show car associations to advertise the car shows. Joan’s work was featured in many magazines such as Travelin’ Vans, Van World and Hot rod Magazine along with local newspapers. She also won 1st Place in national competition as the top airbrush painter out of several thousand entries. In the late ‘70s she worked for Pennsylvania show promotors such as Dean Moore and Ray Headly
In the late 80’s Joan began studies of the fine art of watercolor with Irving Shapiro, the noted Chicago watercolorist, Rowena Smith of the Broward (Florida) Art Guild, and Miles Batt, well-known Florida contemporary watercolorist. After exhibiting locally and again finding demand for her highly individualized sensitive studies, her work was placed in a local gallery whereby she receives commissions for work. The great luminosity, spontaneity and freedom of expression with the water medium provide a perfect vehicle for creating works with natural everyday objects and creation of unique and different environments
During her final days, Joan worked in all mediums in a variety of subject matter including landscapes, seascapes, florals, still life’s and abstracts. Much of Joan’s work is commissioned pieces.
The Artist’s Comments About the Contemporary Artwork That Was on Display at Julz.
In the quest for obtaining a deeper understanding of the formal possibility of subject matter, I’ve chosen florals to reflect the abstract composition and color in pictorial elements. My interests in this subject grew as a result of several weeks of study in Giverney, France where we had daily access to the gardens and areas surrounding Monet’s studio, exemplified by the “Floral Study Outside Monet’s Studio”.
The results of those studies and my formal classical training under the tutelage of Tom Lehnert led to my contemporary use of color and expression. The pieces exhibited here were chosen for their strong use of color in some and “nuances” of color in others.
Watercolor paintings are no longer a “minor medium” as they can be carried to greater innovative heights and surprise demonstrated in the “Coneheads” and “Bonnet House Lillies” paintings. Acrylic paint is used as a traditional “transparent” technique that is illustrated in the “Field of Poppies” painting. Hydrangeas are a perfect subject because of ther intricacies or petal design and always changing color, create a fun environment to paint and explore. The waterlilies also lend to an endless possibility for design, color and composition.
Enjoy the exhibit!
Joan Campbell, B.F.A.
Van World
Joan was featured in Van World after winning Best Chrysler at Van Fest '78 for her custom van Centerfold.
She was also featured in Travelin Minis & Pickups, again with her Centerfold Chrysler Van, for winning most of the top honors in the van show at the 7th National Truck-In.
