Artist Statement and Biography for Joanne Gardner

1966 – and still going strong
Born in Whangarei, New Zealand

Artist Statement

Abstracting the Internal Expressionist – Anatomical Landscapes that Haunt. I love to paint and write, this holds me together in any weather. I crochet for my sanity and I hunt rocks for my freedom.

The Main Points

  • Hearts are my main subject
  • I hunt for things that make my heart sing and then recreate them to share with others
  • Oils are my favourite medium 
  • Have been painting for 22 years
  • Rocking hunting all my life
  • Crocheting since I could pick up a crochet hook
  • Painted under Master Oil Painter Vjekoslav Nemesh
  • Obtained a Degree in Applied Arts (Painting), Massey University
  • Runs in the family
  • Half blind – Blind in one eye, limited sight in the other
  • Born and Lives in New Zealand

The Long Version

I paint hearts, all kinds of hearts. Secret hearts, moving hearts, full hearts, happy hearts and even in the paintings that don’t look like they have hearts in, there are hearts!

I started painting 22 years ago to provide my daughters with artwork for their bedroom walls.  Small beginnings led me to sell my paintings to other parents which in turn led me to Trademe, Markets and Exhibitions.  Determined to learn more and take advantage of my genetic predisposition to painting I took art classes with Nemesh which led me to night classes for drawing and on to my Art Degree.  One foot in front of the other.

My art roots are deep and stretches through countless generations. My Great Grandmother was an accomplished Northland Landscape artist, my Grandmother and Mother’s amazing handwork has graced many Northland shops.  My siblings are all arty and produce their owns styles of painting and handcrafted works as do my aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and my own children. I am blessed.

Something about me that makes me different from my artist peers is that I am partially blind, seeing only with my right eye, makes me one-eyed, right!!!  Yip…I know all the jokes.  I see the world like you see a television and this gives me an added advantage because I am not distracted by all the angles that fully sighted people see instead my brain already knows how to create perspective in a flat picture because this is all I have ever known!!!  Lucky eh, I reckon.

PS: I am based in New Zealand, in the Rangitikei Region where the rivers dictate the life….it’s a lovely little place in Hunterville.

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