Studio Activities | JOANNA NASH, M.A.

studio activities:

My studio is a place of refuge and quiet. No clocks or telephones to distract me. It is where I practice calligraphy and paint. My practice of Japanese calligraphy is the discipline that holds everything together. It evolved from a practice of Kendo and Iiado(sword fighting and form), and helps me transition from 'life' to painting and back again.

I have a few Kenji (words) and phrases that I practice repetitively. I don't need many, and to the left is my favourite.

The studio is where I receive selected and serious adult students, collectors and art lovers. Painting nourishes all the activities listed below.

'No matter what the endeavour,

there is no permanence".

THE GUIDE'S DILEMMA:

I discovered early on, that there are few definitive answers in painting. The power of art can illuminate awareness and understanding, while it challenges the rules, the limits and the conventions of knowledge.

One of the most useful teaching tools for visual artists is the constructive critique - a discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of a painting.

I consider that painters of all levels (beginners to professionals) can benefit from help to understand their own work. I have one or two people whose critical 'eye' I seek when I need it.

ACCELERATED LEARNING:

I enjoy teaching because it challenges and reinforces what painting has taught me. Each individual I work with, presents a unique opportunity for me to exercise my critical skills of observation and communication. Teaching in both English and French, has taught me to choose my words carefully. I am a translator of the visual to the verbal and a guide directing manual skills towards material expression. And, by the act of translation, both myself and those guided gain in understanding.

CURATOR/CRITIQUES/JURIST

I have curated and co-curated a number of exhibitions, and enjoy the challenge of selecting and hanging works in both solo and group shows. I have also written critiques of these exhibitions, and designed catalogues. I offer constructive critiques to advanced learners and professional painters. I have also composed artist's statements for others. https://artexte.ca/en/editions/instabili/

Besides curating works, I have participated on a number of juries. The challenge of being a jurist is to 'see' beyond my tastes, and how to communicate my evaluation of an artwork. I use these experiences to hone my visual skills.

COLLABORATIONS:

Painting is a solitary discipline, and collaborations present opportunities to work with other artists and those in related domains.

Current collaborations included: a session of on-line teaching for the architecture schools of McGill and Athabasca Universities, and students in Johannesburg SA; a Canada Council funded project: Apart but Together directed by filmmaker Monica Mak from Toronto; Zoom presentations on art appreciation from the Arundel legion; and an ongoing project of documenting the early period of Powerhouse Gallery, one of Canada's longest lasting artist-run centers, for women.

http://www.performanceart.ca/index.php?m=page&id=51

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

I have a number of paintings in public collections:

above, one of two purchases by Loto Québec: The Punk Monk, shown on the back cover of Etc. Magazine, to celebrate 20 years of collecting.

Other public collections that have purchased my work:
- MRC des Laurentides 

- Petro-Canada, Alberta, (deux acquisitions);

- Imperial Oil, Toronto, (deux acquisitions);

- L’Industrielle Alliance, curator Claude Brault;

- Health and Welfare Canada, Ottawa;

- Corporation de Loto Québec, (deux acquisitions);

- Pratt & Whitney.

Many other paintings have been purchased by individuals in Canada and the United States.