Featured Artist Joyce Pihl

Canadian artist Joyce Pihl shares her colorful landscapes that celebrate every season. See more of her painting portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

Color describes my paintings. I want my landscape paintings to be as bright and filled with intense color as possible, whether I am painting an autumn scene or winter scene.

 

 

Photography also has always played an important role as a reference tool for my paintings. I received my first camera at 10 years of age and began photographing landscapes, macro photos of flowers, and plants. My photo is used only as a starting point for my paintings. I must have up to 15,000 photos between my cell phone, iPad Pro, and laptop.

 

 

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been involved in art, from grade school painting a mural on the cafeteria wall, to studying art in high school, through university and graduate school. The subject matter that always attracted me were landscapes, seasonal changes, and plants.

 

 

In my paintings I do not try to imitate nature (realism), but reinvent it according to my interpretation in terms of vivid, intense colors.

 

 

My method of painting is to use one of my photos as a starting point. Taking paint from a tube with a brush, I quickly rough in the composition and the simplified shapes. Next, I begin painting quickly and then react to what is happening on my canvas.

 

 

I think I have a very strong color sense, and love using brilliant color which can be squeezed from a tube onto the canvas and/or onto my brushes.

 

 

Even the countryside after fall harvest is so compelling with its gold, yellow and green areas.

 

 

I returned to painting upon my retirement from teaching about 15 years ago, and since retiring to the countryside, I have added winter scenes as well.

 

 

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