About

Short Bio

I am a self taught Canadian painter. I paint in both impressionist and contemporary realist styles. My primary medium is Acrylic, with a limited pallet. I enjoy hiking, kayaking and traveling. I draw inspiration from my daily life and experiences, connecting with the outdoors, people and places. I'm always looking for inspiration, weather it is a beautiful sky or building I come across in my daily life. Being an artist is a life style and a journey that I share through my painting.s

Statement

I would describe myself as a self -taught Artist that enjoys both impressionist / contemporary realist painting styles. I have been creative from a young age and explored my natural talent through painting drawing, writing and participating in workshops. I have been inspired and influenced by many fellow
artists and mediums, but find myself drawn to acrylic painting the most. I strive to be open to new ways, and  ideas to expand my ability.

I just want to keep learning my whole life and share the journey with those who have a deep appreciation for art. My primary medium is acrylics and I enjoy a limited Pallet. I love mixing my own colours, I like the way the colours shift in shades on my pallet. I often avoid mixing the same colour twice, I prefer to allow it to change in value and saturation as I paint. I avoid black, unless it is used as a finish on the sides or it is a base for negitive painting. My preferred colours consist of ( Titanium White: Ultramarine Blue: Phthalo Blue: Burnt Sienna: Yellow Light: Yellow Deep: Yellow Ochre: Magenta: Red Medium: Raw Umber). Most often my pallet will consist of only a few of these.

I select my subjects based on interest, things I feel passionate about or sometimes its about captivating a moment in time and how I feel or view that moment or what seeing it made me feel. I have a connection to my subjects or the places I paint. I use my own references , photographs, sketches as a starting point  for my in studio work, then let my creativity take over. The paint has a away of just moving thoughtlessly through my brush on to the canvas when I am immersed in painting, and the outcome  sometimes surprises me. I don’t have a planned finishing result in mind, I paint until I feel finished. Sometimes I pull a painting together from random images I have taken pictures of.  I don’t like limitations when it comes to my paintings, I constantly look for new techniques, subjects and styles to try. I love to learn, explore, and push boundaries.

I'm an outdoors type of person and  love painting outside on location. I enjoy finding my spot, it's like treasure hunting. When I paint en plein air my subjects are constantly moving. It’s not just one moment in time, but many. You get to use all your senses at once, which reflect in the work. You get to smell , hear as well as see the subject. The light, shadows are shifting in value as you work. I find this influences my paintings to adapt and  take a shape of their own. The beauty of painting outside on location is the influence of your surroundings. Almost all of my en plein air work is done completely on location. I will make multiple visits to a site to finish my work. 

 
Joanne Brouwer

“True art is Characterized by the irresistible urge in the Creative Artist.” Albert Einstein

Biography

Joanne is a Self taught Canadian painter, born in Owen Sound Ontario and moved to Hamilton for a portion of her earliest years, then returned to the Grey Bruce area with her family as a young child when her parents bought and built Wiarton Willy’s Motel. She was raised with her 5 other siblings along side of the motel business for 13 years. Joanne still resides on the Bruce Peninsula, where she has lived for the past 36 years.

Joanne love for art and creative ability to sketch draw and paint developed early on as a young child. ( “All through my school years, I
was always doodling, drawing, and painting something. (“My favorite Class was art, it’s like I was born to be an artist.”)

Joanne describes herself as a lifelong learner and has a diverse education that begin with General Business Management and Accounting at Georgian Collage. She started her business career helping her husband build and establish Limestone stone quarries on the Bruce Peninsula for the past 23 years. She prioritized having a family of her own and building a career in business which has slowed her art career down. She managed to find time to paint and continue developing her skills, with the idea she would get more serious in the future. At this time in her life, it was more of a hobby. With the support of her husband and children she has gotten more serious about her art In 2021 , although she still pursues a business career, she has developed her skills and is emerging artist. (“ Painting is a way to unplug, relax, destress and reconnect with nature and express myself in a meaningful way that is important to me .”)

Joanne paints in both an impressionist and contemporary realistic painting style, both in studio and en plein air. She enjoys the simplicity of a limited pallet, blending and mixing colours letting her pallet shift shades and colours quickly. Her Primary medium is Acrylic but does work in Watercolor. She uses her own reference photographs for primary subjects and secondary images for detail or additions she wants to add to the primary images, for in studio paintings, then lets her creative side and imagination take
over. Most of her en plein air is done onsite and finished on location at a later date. ( “ I enjoy the physical qualities of putting paint on canvas and seeing where it takes me”).
Joanne finds her inspiration from her daily life , experiences and connecting with the outdoors. She enjoys traveling, hiking and kayaking. Her paintings represent some of the most diverse landscapes and its natural rugged beauty Canada has to offer. The balance of her art education has been acquired through workshops , independent study and classes with other accomplished artists.

She spends her summer months painting in her Wiarton Ontario studio or on an adventure painting in en plein Air. Joanne spends several winter months painting in her Summerland British Columbia studio. Joanne takes pride in completing paintings that offers people a chance to see the beauty in almost any subject she paints. She captures a sense of life on canvas and brings it into the people’s homes. Her work captures her passion and connection in each painting.

“ Art is not what you see, It is what you make others see.” Edgar Degas