Joan Brancale, CA
About
Joan Brancale's painting ideas often develop from a split-second response to a sight, experience or circumstance that compels her to set down a memory. A memory may also be triggered by old family snapshots from a different era. The narrative quality of her painting stems from these sources.
Sometimes a painting is achieved “en plein air” but more often the artist's work is developed in the studio, where paintings can be shaped as interpretative images. Guided by an initial impulse, she allows time for ideas to germinate, creating a folder for supporting visual research, field studies, design roughs, and a search for a “hook,” perhaps a title which helps her keep focused on what is key. When she is ready to paint, spontaneity has been prepared for. She knows her aim but she is open to the surprises that lay ahead as she get more deeply involved emotionally and technically with the work.
Brancale was fascinated by paintings as a child. As an adult, she is totally absorbed in creating them. The whole process is marvelous; mentally stimulating, arduous, satisfying—an opportunity for play, learning, and giving pleasure.