Joanna Nash; Arundel, Québec - Snow Shifts Series

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I am a formally trained career painter and art instructor - Master’s in Arts, McGill University, Montreal (Thesis: The Praxis of Teaching Drawing); Bachelor's degree in Painting, Concordia University, Montreal, and Certificate in teaching art, McGill University.

My art philosophy echoes that of generations of painters who sought to understand themselves, their experiences and their environment through the pursuit of art. I define my paintings as “contemporary, hand-made, unique, physical images”. I prioritize an expressive, ‘felt’ interpretation of my subject matter and I describe my methods as improvised and responsive, with cognizance of a Western ‘painterly tradition’.

The people who influenced and inspired me are my father(visual discernment), my mother(determination); Sensei Okimura (discipline, clear-mindedness and focus); and the artist/teachers Leonard Sherman, Leslie Schalk, Phillip Surrey and Bernard Chäet (solid grounding in representation and invention).

I live in the midst of nature; my themes are inspired by my context and the elements and events which surround me. Here, deep in the hills overlooking the Riviere Rouge valley, I have found my place to reflect and create. I invent imagery, which avoids the sentimental, in favour of concrete and atmospheric forms, which express both my realistic and abstract human qualities.

My artworks are in private and public collections:

MRC des Laurentides;
Petro-Canada, Alberta (deux acquisitions);
Imperial Oil, Toronto, (deux acquisitions);
L’Industrielle Alliance, Montreal;
Health and Welfare Canada, Ottawa;
Corporation de Loto Québec, (deux acquisitions);
Pratt & Whitney, Canada.

My studio

Located in Arundel, northwest of Montreal, a rural and agricultural region, my studio provides me with privileged access to nature, a close-knit community, as well as the opportunity for an affordable lifestyle and a studio within earshot. It is here that I have found my place in nature. Studio activities include:

2022 - Invited collaborator: Global Studio; Architectural Sketching in a Global Context, U McGill, U of Athabasca, et U of Johannesburg Afrique du Sud
2023 - Invited collaborator: Documentary film “Apart but Together”; Lead artist, director, and producer of film: Monica Mak, Toronto; Funding by: Canada Council for the Arts
2023-2024 - Ongoing series of paintings: Immersion