"Birdhouse and Mountain Ash"
Joanna Moore, "Birdhouse and Mountain Ash," 2001, watercolour on paper, 22" x 30".
JOANNA MOORE
By Jennifer MacLeod
Watercolourist Joanna Moore delights in the beauty to be found in the urban landscape, particularly in the back lanes of residential neighbourhoods. "I enjoy the unexpected, whimsical beauty of the lanes. They are not perfect; they're slightly disheveled," she says. Yet the lanes offer the pattern and texture of fences, reflective puddles, and so much more. Moore paints her subjects on location. On any but the coldest winter days, you might find her strategically parked, paints spread out on the driver's seat, canvas propped against her steering wheel. For larger canvases, she works from a photograph, but Moore much prefers the location work. "Those pieces tend to be more spontaneous, and I am much more observant when I'm painting on location." Plus, she notes, it's really quite peaceful. "In this violent, hectic and fast-paced life, there is great beauty, intimacy and peace within our grasp," says the artist. A solo show of Joanna Moore's work is set for late spring at the Front Gallery in Edmonton.