An interview with Visual Artist Joan Dimock of Riverview, New Brunswick, Canada.

 

We have another new visitor to the Scribbler.

 

I met Joan this summer when she was co-managing the Art on the Wharf along with fellow artist, Colleen Shannon.

She has kindly agreed to answer a few questions and share images of her artwork.

 Please note her work is for sale and you will find a link below.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Joan Dimock is a resident of south-eastern New Brunswick. She spends her summers in Shediac and winters in Moncton.  Her inspiration often comes from New Brunswick landscapes, beaches, coastlines, and the natural beauty of Bay of Fundy vistas and trails.

Joan paints exclusively in oils and usually paints landscapes that she has experienced herself or that instill a sense of memory. She is drawn to create landscapes that evoke the feelings one experiences from the vastness of skies, water, and vistas. She enjoys the challenge of reducing the largeness of what one sees in person to a painting that can still arouse the feeling of being in nature.

Joan's retirement has allowed a greater focus on her art and art community. In addition to her involvement with the Art on the Wharf in Pointe du Chene,  Joan is an active member of the Riverview Arts Council.

 

 

Scribbler: Thanks for being our guest this week, Joan. Please tell our readers how long you’ve been painting? How did you get started?

Joan: I have always been a creative but my interest in painting began about 10 years ago.  I am self-taught with a number of mentors/teachers along the way and believe painting is is a life long learning.  Originally I started painting to take time to breath, time for me.  I found that when you paint, you fully focus on what you are doing and can escape from all the competing priorities on ones mind.   I quickly became very interested in the process and developing my skills.  Now I paint because it has become part of me.

 

Scribbler: How do you decide what you are going to paint next?

Joan: My inspiration comes from the human need to connect with nature and my experience with those feelings, particularity from the places I have been, seen and felt.  Half the fun is exploring our landscapes and taking reference photos for future paintings, its part of my process.  I am inspired by the sensory affects of the sights, the physical feelings of the wind, the emotional feelings of calmness or nostalgia and even smells while walking through the woods or beside our seascapes.  What I paint next depends on what landscapes I have a connection with at the time.  I usually have 3 or 4 paintings on the go at the same time.

 

Scribbler: What I admire most about your paintings is the softness (not sure if that’s the right word) of the colours, which I find most appealing. How do you do that?

Joan: Choice of paint palette helps but I find painting multiple thin layers over several sittings create the softness you describe.  When studio painting, I am in no rush and I let the layers dry for a few days before continuing the process.  In addition I mix my paint with mostly transparent oils allowing the creation of depth with many layers and utilizing soft edges for brushstrokes.

 

Scribbler: I notice many of your images are of the seashore or in nature. What inspires you?

Joan: You will see that most of my paintings have some aspect of water in them.  I am inspired by  what one feels when by the water.  It can be the calmness of sunset on the Northumberland Strait, the power of the Bay of Fundy, the reflective nature of a brook or the sound of waves over our shorelines.   I often cannot feel a connection to a landscape without the water.

 

Scribbler: Where are your paintings exhibited or where can they be purchased?

Joan: I exhibit my originals mostly in the summer months in Shediac and prints can be found at Maritime Crafts in Shediac as well.  Although you can find me at a few Fine Art Sales throughout the year, the best approach is to contact me directly on my Instagram account  @joan_dimock.  

Please go HERE.

 

Scribbler: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

 

Joan: I have come to the conclusion that my love of landscapes continues to translate into other mediums and processes.  I continue to studio paint, particularly in the winter, however over the last few years I have put a focus on plein air painting (The act of painting outdoors). Painting plein air is a process of adventure and gives me the ability to paint nature while outside in nature, amplifying the feelings in nature and senses of colour.  Utilizing fibre art, I have also  translated a number of landscapes into wool needle felting pieces  that continue to provide the connection ones feels in nature utilizing an additional creative process.

 

 

 Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Joan. We wish you continued success with your paintings.

 

 

Another BIG thank you to all our visitors and readers.

Please leave us a comment, especially where you are from.