Joanne was fortunate to start life in 1949 in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY, an area of multi-cultural talented residents, one of whom was Bungi Tagawa. She was not aware that Tagawa was a recognized illustrator for Scientific America, but Joanne was mesmerized by his talent as she was often invited to his home to observe him at work. Those encounters ignited Joanne’s life journey into creative thinking and with the encouragement of her parents, she developed a love of design and experimentation with color. While in high school, Joanne received a semester scholarship to Pratt Institute, and she followed up with attendance at Parsons School of Design which cemented her determination to pursue a career in art. A degree in graphic design earned her a position with JCPenney and after fifteen years as an Art Director, collaborating with illustrators, photographers, stylists and copywriters, Joanne relocated to Connecticut with her artist husband. From their home in Litchfield County, both freelanced until Joanne was offered a position as Art Director with Ames department stores. Sadly, Ames went the way of so many retailers and closed its doors some years later when retail had become an economic battlefield, so Joanne changed direction and began a new career in interior design. While working as a designer for Ethan Allen, the one-on-one projects with clients allowed her to design with fabric and color in three-dimension. It was another outlet for Joanne to express her creative abilities. After more than four decades of working in art and design, Joanne retired, yet she and her husband continued their involvement in the art world by participating in weekly drawing sessions. Joanne’s life changed abruptly upon the death of her husband of nearly fifty years. Joanne now plunges into art for pure enjoyment, experimenting with opacity and the transparency of oils. Her paintings take on dimension, the creation of moods of serenity, weightlessness and sometimes turbulence. Her journey with art has been long and joyous and she hopes that all people would make art, enjoy art and live art. It is her hope that you select a piece that suits your mood.