Chaffee Featured Artist, Joan Drew
When Joan first started painting with watercolor it was all about flowers — all flowers, and especially up close flowers. For a long time it was autumn leaves, falling leaves and still life. Now, it is almost always an outdoor scene that catches her eye because of the light; especially moon light, trees, or beautiful snowy winter scenes.
As a child, she felt that nothing could be better than a new coloring book and crayons. Then as a young adult the best gift was a “paint by number” kit! In high school, it was charcoal and pen and ink sketching. She was fortunate to take a class in oil painting at the age of 25. There began the love.
Joan was drawn to watercolor as a result of seeing and studying paintings by famous artists like Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth, and was curious to see if she could learn to paint that way. After her first watercolor class about 30 years ago, she was hooked!
She feels that studying with other artists has been one of her most beneficial learning and inspiring experiences. She learned how to paint with watercolor through many workshops with well-known watercolor artists and instruction books, and would go through the books page by page and practice each lesson. It gave her the knowledge of the medium, and the inspiration to paint what she loves. Joan loves the transparency, and glow, and spontaneous nature of watercolor paint on wet paper.
When asked if she has a favorite piece of her artwork, Joan says that she has a few: The Nubble Lite, Moon Glow, and Up Close Iris. She feels they are favorites because they capture the essence of what she was looking at, and thinks the viewer can feel her excitement and passion for watercolor.
“I have sold over 100 original pieces, and my greatest pleasure is when folks tell me they collect and love my work, and to know my prints and note cards are all over the country. On a very exciting note, several years ago — the Adjutant General of Vermont gifted my original painting of a Sugar Shack near Rochester, Vermont to the Ambassador of Senegal!”
Joan taught adult Watercolor Classes at Frog Hollow in Middlebury when she was gallery assistant there. She also has participated in every yearly fundraiser at the Brandon Artists Guild since 2003. She initiated and chaired the Quilt Board fundraising project of which four 4′ x 4′ barn quilts are on the sidewall of the Brandon Artists Guild with others around town. When she is not painting or teaching, Joan’s other hobbies include her love of cooking, reading, and gardening.