Joan A. Schlough

medium: painting

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Vectors Obscura 2003 Painting	Yellow Raft, Blue Heron, and Other Segments 2004 Painting	Maple Leaf Rag 2002 Painting
Undulating Grid 2003 Painting	Lonely Cloud 2004 Painting	Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow 2004 Painting
This Is Not My Beautiful Wife 2004 Painting	Reclining Landscape 2004 Painting

Contact information
Artist resides in: Manitowoc, WI
Email Address: vigdis@lsol.net
Web site: www.cobaltshining.biz/

Artist statement
I classify paintings, whether representational or abstract, as either figures or landscapes, or variations of the two. Compositions are horizontal (landscapes) or vertical (figures), yet sometimes in my paintings a reclining nude can become a landscape, or trees can become figures.

I approach a composition as an opportunity to employ formal aspects of design. I often observe the positive and negative spaces, the triangular spaces created by vectors, and strong directionals that create disequilibrium and movement.

In addition to considering painting as a formal exercise, I also use the opportunity for expression. Landscapes and figures can describe a feeling or condition. Some of my paintings are a simple expression, such as I think this time of year or this person is beautiful. Some of my paintings are very personal, describing how I feel in a group, or a particular longing, or an impression of a person's character.

Biography
I am from Whitewater, Wis., where my parents were teachers. My mother stayed at home with my brother and me until we were in school. Having once been an art minor in college and a kindergarten teacher, my mother gave us plenty of time to work with play dough and paint. My mother's family has generations of artists and musicians. Even though I have worked at and studied other subjects, art has been my constant.

I graduated in 1994 with a bachelor of fine arts degree from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. I live in Manitowoc and exhibit nationally. In 2005, I exhibited at the Wisconsin Academy Gallery in Madison and had a solo exhibit at The Flying Pig Gallery in Algoma, Wis., and Colorado and South Carolina.